UT Austin sociology doctoral candidate Maro Youssef and co-author Hamza Mighri have written an op-ed for Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Women’s Groups and Radicalization in Tunisia.

They write:

Tunisian women’s associations aim to lead efforts to prevent radicalization among women, but insufficient funding and inter-organizational divides hamper their efforts. […]

As much as what drives the radicalization of young men, economic disparities, high unemployment and disenchantment with the democratic transition also drive women’s radicalization. […] More broadly, women’s associations also see women’s inclusion in society as key to preventing marginalization that could lead to extremism. By lobbying for gender equality and representation, cultivating civic engagement, and providing women with better economic opportunities, women’s organizations thereby reduce the risk of radicalization. […]

The role of women and feminist associations in tackling the roots of radicalization through combatting violence against women, improving access to education, providing opportunities for entrepreneurship, and encouraging participation in the political process through civil society or politics is crucial to solving Tunisia’s security problems in the long run.

To read the full op-ed, see Carnegie Empowerment for International Peace.

Maro Youssef is a doctoral candidate in sociology at The University of Texas at Austin and a Fulbright-Hays Fellow.  Her research is on gender, democratization, and social movements in the Middle East and North Africa.