The Nexus Between P-CVE and Gender in the Western Balkans

The following article examines the gender connections between Prevention and Counter Violent Extremism policies and practices in the western Balkans. The article begins with an overview of ISIS gender ideological constructs and its impact in the western Balkans. The Western Balkans are leaders in the repatriation of their citizens from Iraq/Syria and their emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration. The article outlines a Western Balkan Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P-CVE) Typology that discusses P-CVE actions along contextual lines, and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each action, along with an example. Specifically, the P-CVE actions examined in this article are penal code amendments, enforcement, incarceration, discourse, de-radicalization programs and finally rehabilitation/integration. The article concludes with a short discourse on the intersection of etiology and criminality as it relates to ISIS. Finally, strategic gender P-CVE recommendations are offered to build upon western Balkan’s repatriation practices.