CTED Analytical Briefs aim to provide the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee, United Nations agencies, and policymakers with a concise analysis of specific issues, trends or developments, as identified through CTED’s engagement with Member States on their implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions. The Analytical Brief also include relevant data gathered by CTED, including through engagement with its United Nations partners; international, regional and subregional organizations; civil society organizations; and members of the CTED Global Research Network (GRN).
The unprecedented number of women who joined the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as Da’esh) in Iraq and the Syrian Arab Republic has presented policymakers and practitioners with a range of complex, gender-specific challenges. It is estimated that between 6,797 and 6,902 women travelled to the conflict zones of the Middle East. According to recent research figures, only 609 women, or nine per cent of those who travelled, have been recorded as returned. This rate of return remains significantly lower than for men and children.
Following the territorial collapse of ISIL, thousands of women are now detained or held in camps in Iraq and northern Syrian Arab Republic and face a precarious humanitarian, human rights and security situation. This Analytical Brief identifies key trends with regard to the repatriation of women, the related gender-specific challenges encountered by Member States, and the available guidance on gender-sensitive responses.
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