The Key to Winning the War on Terror: Women
This article was originally published by Big Think.
With next year marking ten years since the term “War on Terror” was coined, the controversial war has seen its strides and pitfalls, depending on whom you ask. But as the battle against global terrorism enters its second decade, its ultimate outcome could hinge on winning the hearts and minds of women both in the United States and abroad.
The role of women in terrorist activities is intriguing, especially considering that many of the administrations making up the backbone of global terrorism share views on women’s rights rooted in the stone age. That an Afghani women recently had her nose and ears cut off after running away from an abusive relationship seems irreconcilable with two separate American women, Colleen R. LaRose and Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, being detained as jihadists in the past week.
Their role in combating terror finally being acknowledged, a recent column by C.M. Sennott profiled the role of some women in Pakistan attempting to re-educate many of the young, disgruntled Pakistani men who are prime terror recruits. That role of women as peacemakers is being aggressively explored by the Institute for Inclusive Security, which just recently ensured that Afghani women were heard during a London conference about the country. Even the Marine Corps has looked to engage women in Afghanistan in attempts to attend to their needs.
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