The Links Between Gender, Radicalisation, and Prevention of Violent Extremism in the Maldives

Abstract

This research investigates the critical links between gender, radicalisation, and the prevention of violent extremism (P/CVE) in the Maldives. Grounded in feminist methodologies, the study moves beyond simplistic "push and pull" explanations to argue that the current, problematic understanding of radicalisation obscures systemic political and economic failings—often linked to neoliberal policies that disproportionately harm women and marginalized groups—by instead essentialising gender. This depoliticised approach views radicalisation as a purely ideological problem, leading the state to focus prevention efforts on promoting "moderate Islam" and constructing a good Muslim/bad Muslim binary, thereby absolving itself of responsibility for structural antagonism. Consequently, the operationalisation of P/CVE extends state security into traditionally non-security arenas like family and educational institutions, transforming them into sites of surveillance where mothers and educators are co-opted into the security apparatus. Ultimately, the research illustrates that this fundamentally flawed understanding leads to the gendered co-option of social institutions for state security, creating a technology of governance through self-governing subjects at a detrimental human cost.