Call for Conference Papers

NOVEMBER 23-24, 2021

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON GENDER AND RESPONDING TO VIOLENT EXTREMISM

The Gender and Responding to Violent Extremism (GARVE) Network is pleased to announce the call for submission of abstracts/papers for its upcoming International Virtual Conference. GARVE is a global network that aims to attract members from diverse disciplines, to promote innovative and critical thinking on violent extremism from a gender perspective and to facilitate shared learning. The Network is funded by a UKRI/Global Challenges Research Award and led by Dr Fatuma Ahmed Ali from the United States International University-Africa in Kenya and Dr Sahla Aroussi from the Centre for Global Security Challenges, University of Leeds in the UK.

Background

Over the last few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented attention to gender in research and policies on preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) particularly following the adoption of the United Nations Secretary General Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism and Security Council resolution 2242 on Women, Peace and Security in 2015. The interest in gender in P/CVE was largely caused by the expansion of the UN’s P/CVE agenda; the presumption of a surge in the number of women joining violent groups; the increased attention to the targeting of women and girls by terrorist violence; the integration of P/CVE within the women, peace, and security (WPS) framework; and the subsequent development and uptake of ‘feminism-as-counter-terrorism’ based on the idea that gender equality can be used as national security tactic to combat and prevent violent extremism (Huckerby 2020). Yet, of the difficulties of this increased attention to gender within P/CVE work is that there is agreed definition on what violent extremism is. The UN Special Rapporteur, Fionnuala Ni Aolain, expressed deep concern that ‘violent extremism’ as a concept remains opaque, deeply contested, and vague allowing for broad discretion in its application and the adoption of sweeping measures by States.

Objective

The conference aims to explore how attention to gender in P/CVE research and policies has impacted first on responses to violent extremism and second on the women’s rights agenda and local communities over the last few years.

CONFERENCE THEME:

Rethinking Gender in Responses to Violent Extremism

Subthemes

GARVE network invites submission of papers that focus on, but not limited to the following subthemes:

  1. Problematizing violent extremism from a feminist and decolonised perspective
  2. Understanding the role of gender in violent extremism (the spectrum of compliance, recruitment and radicalisation to defiance, countering and preventing of violent extremism)
  3. Exploring the links between violent extremism, gender inequality and misogynistic violence
  4. Violent extremism and the violence continuum
  5. The impact of violent extremism funding and programming on gender and women’s rights
  6. The ethics and methods of researching gender and violent extremism
  7. Gender, displacement, belonging and violent extremism
  8. Gender and responses to violent extremism during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic

GUIDELINES FOR SUBMISSION OF PAPERS

GARVE network is interested in papers that look at violent extremism critically and that focus on a broad understanding of what violent extremism is which includes the Far Right. It is also keen on receiving papers focusing on different countries and geographical areas. Submission from early career researchers and those from under-represented minorities and scholars from the Global South are highly encouraged. A number of selected full text papers from the conference will be considered for publication in two journal special issues edited by Dr Ali and Dr. Aroussi. The Abstracts for papers should be a maximum of 250 words with at least 5 key words and be submitted in word format.

Please submit your abstracts to [email protected]

IMPORTANT DATES

Abstract Submission (250 words) deadline: 15 August 2021
Notification of Selected Abstracts: 30 August 2021
Conference registration starts: 30 August 2021
Full Text First Draft Submission Deadline: 31 October 2021
Conference dates: 23 – 24 November 2021
Final paper Submission: 12 December 2021