International Women’s Day 2024: Investing in Women’s Empowerment to prevent and counter violent extremism
Our Commitment to Gender Equality
Achieving gender equality remains integral to the viability and success of countering terrorism around the world. The full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of women is therefore essential to countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism (CT/PCVE), as part of implementing gender-responsive and human rights-based approaches throughout the design, implementation and evaluation of CT/PCVE programmes and policies.
The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) recognizes how both terrorist acts and counter-terrorism measures impact women and girls and men and boys differently, and is committed to supporting the capacities of women and girls, and amplifying their voices.
Guided by our Gender Mainstreaming Policy and Action Plan, UNOCT has continued to make significant strides to support women and girls with the skills and knowledge, as well as opportunities needed as they counter violent extremism within their communities. However, such activities are only possible, when financial and other resources are made available to women and girls.
On International Women’s Day 2024 (#IWD2024) marked under the theme “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress”, UNOCT highlights the contributions made by women and girls in the fight against terrorism and reaffirms its dedication to invest in women through our programmes and activities as part of a gender-responsive approach to counter-terrorism.
Meisha Marsella Efendi (P/CVE)
Meisha Marsella Efendi is a passionate Indonesian advocate for peace and development, who combines her communication expertise with strategic planning to prevent violent extremism. A graduate in international relations, Meisha leverages programme development and partnership building skills to empower communities across Indonesia and Southeast Asia through her campaign, “Generation Generous and Intelligent” or “Gen+” for short.
A participant of UNOCT’s Young Leaders for the Online Prevention and Countering Violent Extremism, Meisha learned how to devise solutions to prevent violent extremism, both on and offline, through collaboration with fellow youth from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Her initiative, Gen+, aims to educate and empower young people on how to identify and avoid terrorism funding schemes. The campaign leverages both online and offline platforms to ensure maximum impact and reach large segments of target audiences.
“I understand the vulnerability of those lacking financial literacy and the difficulty of controlling donations. By equipping young people with knowledge, Gen+ empowers them to make responsible financial decisions and avoid falling prey to fraudulent fundraising disguised as charity. By promoting inclusive financial literacy, I hope to pave the way for a future where empowered women contribute to a safer and more secure world. It is important to recalibrate our focus and address the unique challenges that women face in this space. By increasing inclusive financial literacy, I believe that women in Indonesia and around the world will be able to make responsible financial decisions and avoid fraud under the guise of donations.”
Oyindamola Osinubi (P/CVE)
Oyindamola Osinubi is a Nigerian author, content/communications strategist, and youth advisor to the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Relying on her entrepreneurial skills, Oyindamola created DigiShapersAfrica, a unique initiative that promotes peace and resilient communities across Nigeria by equipping youth with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in future careers.
Oyindamola participated in UNOCT’s Youth Engagement and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) to help. communities across her country address gender-based discrimination, growing unemployment rates, and education inequality; challenges that she learned could be conducive to violent extremism.
“My involvement in UNOCT-YEEP in Nigeria provided me with more insights into the nuances of violent extremism. My initiative, DigiShapersAfrica, equips young people with the essential knowledge and skills to overcome education inequality, navigate the modern world and prepare for the future of work. Through our work, we catalyse these young people to reach their full potential and build resilience, thereby reducing their vulnerability to violence and other forms of social vices”.
Ester Nabatanzi (Sports)
Ester Nabatanzi is a community activist from Mirambiro Village in southwest Uganda. She is also a certified netball coach, who has demonstrated experience working alongside both refugees and non-refugees in her community through a local civil society organisation, Integrated Community Development Initiative (ICODI).
Growing up in a family reliant on agriculture for income generation, she explains, “When I learned of the government’s plans to use our land to host refugees coming from conflict-stricken countries, I became distressed. Soon, my behaviour was hateful and violent towards these refugees.”
However, her outlook changed, when she discovered ICODI where she started embracing the social values that she learned through sport. Between 2021-2023 ICODI was a recipient of the Civil Society Organization Grant Scheme by UNOCT’s Global Sports Programme. The micro-grants support the implementation of community-level efforts to counter-terrorism and prevent/counter violent extremism (CT/PCVE) through sports with a focus on women-led and youth organizations. In participating in a training of trainers to strengthen youth leadership, Ester learned how to mix her skills as a netball coach to bridge divides between youth in her community, including both refugees and non-refugees.
“I used my skills to train youth to continue engaging in sport, regardless of their differences, promoting gender equality, and diversity in communities that were once facing tensions and conflicts. Since then, I continue to share the lessons I have learned through my personal journey as I advocate to a global audience for how sport can address gender-based violence and promote peace and harmony.”
Leila Benabdallah (Sports)
Leïla Benabdallah is a young leader from France dedicated to promoting global peace and sustainability. A current member of UNOCT’s Working Group on Youth, Sports, and Preventing Violent Extremism, Leïla also works to facilitate meaningful connections among students to cross cultural barriers, and foster mutual understanding as a Vice President of the Erasmus+ Students and Alumni Network.
Leïla participated in the United Nations-African Union Sports Council Youth Forum in Accra, Ghana through UNOCT’s Global Sports Programme. Alongside 20 other youth leaders from 19 countries across Africa, she engaged key decision-makers through dialogue and discussion about the power of sports and major sporting events to counter and prevent violent extremism, as well as the important role she and other youth like her play.
“Violent extremism knows no boundaries of religion, ethnicity, or gender; it arises from a complex context with multiple contributing factors, including conflicts, lack of mutual understanding, and limited access to basic resources. Through the UN-AUSC Youth Forum, I witnessed first-hand the transformative power of sports in social change. This experience has not only inspired me but also reaffirmed my resolve to continue advocating for inclusive initiatives that harness the potential of sports to build cohesive societies.”
She further explains, “By addressing fundamental pillars to global peace and security, and ensuring that all women, as well as men, have equal access to opportunities, I can continue to lay the foundations necessary for a more inclusive and harmonious society, where every individual can thrive and contribute to a brighter future.”