Gender Analysis of Violent Extremism and the Impact of COVID-19 on Peace and Security in ASEAN: Evidence-based research for policy

It is well known that radicalization, a shift towards violent extremism, in Southeast Asia takes place during times of peace, when conflict has been stabilized, and/or even in countries that do not experience internal conflict. Recent studies have also shown that women and men’s engagement with both extremist content and organizations differ, particularly in terms of radicalization, recruitment and participation. This report identifies both the persistent trends and changing gender dynamics of violent extremism in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on an expert survey and interview research conducted between July and November 2021. It examined how and to what extent misogyny and hostile beliefs are fuelling violent extremism in the Southeast Asian region during the pandemic, the degree to which misogyny and hostile beliefs in the ASEAN region are fuelling violent extremism, and how these manifest themselves in the offline space. This is the final report from our 'Gender Analysis of Violent Extremism and the Impact of COVID-19 on Peace and Security in ASEAN: Evidence-based research for policy' project in English. The full report can also be read here in Indonesian.