Efforts to counter violent extremism must include engaging women at all levels, a diplomat has said. 

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador to the UN, said: "Women are positioned to be effective partners in countering violent extremism efforts against intolerance and extremism, and as positive change agents in their families, communities and public spaces to prevent radicalisation that leads to violent extremism and acts of terrorism. 

"Only when women are meaningful participants in shaping comprehensive strategies – through the security sector, criminal justice system, in social programmes, counter-ideology initiatives and within civil society – will societies be able to address the conditions conducive to terrorism." 

Some of the Hedayah report recommendations include: 

■ Tracking and analysing a gender dimension throughout all existing programmes and policy related to countering violent extremism. 

■ Increasing new programmes specifically focused on women. 

■ Strengthening local partnerships of women-led organisations. 

■ Enhancing capacities of women-led organisations that "opt-in" to countering violent extremism efforts and initiatives. 

■ Integrating gender dimension in all UN counterterrorism work. 

■ Promoting broadly inclusive dialogue that engages men and youth: Enhancing broad community support, including from men, boys and girls, for women's roles in counterterrorism will be important to their safety. It will also help to ensure that initiatives contribute to shaping broader structural dynamics that support the efficiency and sustainability of strengthening women's rights, development and security. 

■ Fostering and funding innovative research to assess how gender dynamics play a role in counterterrorism efforts. 

The recommendations were drafted by Naureen Chowdhury Fink, head of research and analysis for the Global Centre on Cooperative Security, Sara Zeiger, senior research analyst at Hedayah, and Rafia Bhulai, programmes officer for the Global Centre on Cooperative Security. 

Source: The National