The prevention of violent extremism in international development policies : gender, women’s agency and alternative approaches to violent extremism in the case of Tunisia

Abstract

At a time where terrorism, Islamic radicalization and violent extremism are part of our everyday life, development and peacebuilding policies are crucial. The case of Tunisia is interesting to study. Indeed, after the Revolution and in the midst of the consolidation of its democratic transition, Tunisia is facing numerous difficulties linked to Salafism-jihadism and to the prospect of the return from ISIS of its foreign fighters. Solving some of the social, economic, political and cultural causes of extremism is thus essential for the stability and long term development of Tunisia's democracy. While taking the case of Tunisia and more specifically, the projects of the UNDP office in Tunisia, I wish to study how a gendered method of Prevention of Violent Extremism (PVE) is interesting and innovative. In conflict transformation theories, the question of women and their influence, is a quickly growing field of study. This paper has thus as an objective, to analyze how women, too often marginalized, could be perceived as key actresses of their community, able to provide a significant support to national and international development policies of PVE.