Deradicalisation must involve women

The rising trend of women’s involvement in terrorist networks demonstrates their vital role in increasing the strategic, operational, and tactical effectiveness in supporting terrorism.
Besides the role of women in logistics, fundraising and as combatants, we must also recognise the importance of women in recruitment – which is significant in ensuring their survival and continuity. All terrorist networks need to establish overarching mechanisms to recruit new members, and that includes women.
The recent arrest of Titin Sugiarti in Indonesia shows women play an important role in the recruitment process. Sugiarti recruited Dian Yuli Novi – a perpetrator of a foiled suicide bombing attempt at the State Palace in December. Novi is the wife of Nur Solihin, the leader of a Surakarta-based terror cell who also plotted the attack at the palace. Yet, Novi was not radicalised by her husband but rather by Sugiarti whom she had met long before.
Researchers R Kim Cragin and Sara A Daly in their 2009 book “Women as Terrorists: Mothers, Recruiters and Martyrs” identify women’s roles in aiding recruitment of terrorist networks as facilitators, propagandists, and as historians. These ways are still relevant in identifying the current practice of groups affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group in Indonesia.
As a facilitator, Sugiarti stands out as the main recruiter of Novi and perhaps others as potential female suicide bombers, which is strategic as women tend to be less conspicuous than men. Due to their rarity, women suicide bombers usually latch media attention and in turn instil fear – the main objective of terrorists.
Women also recruit men who have kin relationships with them. Dwi Djoko Wiwoho, a civil servant who served as director of the Indonesia Investment Coordinating Board’s licensing office in Batam, left for Syria in 2015 to join IS. It is believed he has been radicalised by his wife Ratna Nirmala.
According to his colleagues, Wiwoho was not religious or a fanatic. He skipped prayers and often accompanied his friends from Jakarta to local night clubs. On the other hand, Nirmala had frequently visited Malaysia because of her affiliation with an extremist group there.
As propagandists, women have taken on the role of inspiring promising recruits to “pick up their guns” as well as mobilising support from the populace. The wives of Bahrun Naim, the leader of militant group Katibah Nusantara, was known for promoting IS’ toxic ideology on social media and encouraging people to travel to IS-held territory. Their postings had received positive responses and was the main factor in attracting both women and men to migrate to Syria.
Finally, women are historians and storytellers who pass on grievances and memories, especially to the next generation. They entrench hate and enmity in their children – shaping the mindset of “us versus them” in their children, leading them to identify victims for their grievances. Widows may also pass on the pride of having a husband who died as a martyr.
Mothers sadly increase the odds of recruiting children as the next generation of fighters and bombers in terrorist groups. 
The indoctrination of extremist ideologies at a very young age has been the main culprit behind the brainwashing and abuse of children, enabling them to be susceptible to the lures of terrorist cells. These children are prevented from access of narratives counter to the ones they were taught, thus raised into an environment in which terror acts are justified.
In fact, the recruitment of children as combatants has become one of IS’ priorities. Child soldiers are inexpensive, easy to recruit, and create a shock factor for societies and governments. In early 2016, online videos showed Indonesian children practising shooting hand guns and AK-47 rifles, before setting fire to their passports. The boys were between 8 and 12 years old and were trained by Abu Faiz al Indusey, a militant from Indonesia who was a sniper in Syria.
Despite the potential of women as recruiters in terrorist networks, women also play an important role in deradicalisation efforts. 
Women have the unique ability to recognise peculiar attitudes and behaviour from their children and partners exposed to extremism. They can stop their children or partners from committing violence. Children mostly spend time with their mothers and often see their mothers as moral figures.
Hence, counterterrorism-related agencies should actively engage women in deradicalisation efforts, especially for the young. Ideology or religion is not the fundamental factor that triggers individuals to involve themselves in terrorist networks. A main driver lies in the cultural environment where individuals pick up ideas.
Counterterrorism-related agencies should also engage experts who understand the strategic position of women as mothers. The government could facilitate counselling for mothers who suspect that their child is susceptible to radical ideologies. Counselling programmes may also be in a form of a hotline that facilitates access and provide a fast response to vulnerable families. Such hotlines in Austria and Germany, for instance, were swamped with phone calls shortly after they were launched.
Most new terrorist members are recruited when they are at a very young age or in adolescence. Counselling programmes can help mothers build more constructive communication with their children. Mothers should have more dialogue with their children and listen to them to increase empathy with their offspring.
As a result, these children would hopefully come to their family first instead of seeking out answers from other sources. In overcoming terrorism mothers should not be treated as informants – but as key allies and partners. This means that their privacy should be protected.

The writer is a research assistant with the Indonesia Programme at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Singapore