2021

Gender-sensitive responses to returnees from foreign terrorist organisations: insights for practitioners.

For women returning to Europe from Syria and Iraq, their experiences of, and association with, terrorist groups vary greatly. Recognizing that an approach limited to security and punishment is inadequate to deal with those situations, the UN Security Council and General Assembly have called on States to develop and implement “comprehensive and tailored strategies” for the screening, prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration (SPRR) of persons associated or affiliated with designated terrorist organizations, and their families. The paper highlights the gendered experiences of women in Daesh, then focuses on the gender needs of women returnees. The second part of the paper identifies R&R involvement in various professions supporting women returnees from Daesh to the European Union (EU). The paper then provides some recommendations for professionals working towards the rehabilitation and reintegration of returnees. French and German versions available.