Exclusion of women, youth hurting war on extremism – report
Efforts to stop extremism and radicalisation in Northeastern, Coast and Nairobi have not succeeded because women and youth are excluded from the initiatives, a lobby has said.
The report by Haki Africa shows that in Wajir and Kwale counties, the state has mainly focused on engaging community elders while ignoring the youth, who are targeted by terror cells.
In the two counties, the report said, strong cultural beliefs subordinate women to men and forbid the two groups from coming together to discuss such issues.
The report was launched on Wednesday in Nairobi. The survey was conducted in three counties through funding by South African-based Institute of Security Studies and the government of the Netherlands.
It sought to explore ways of helping communities develop resilience in the face of incessant efforts by terror offshoots to recruit youth into radical terrorism.
In Kwale, the report said radicalisation meetings are dominated by elders. Women and young people are not allowed to air their views.
"When you later ask the women who attended why they did not raise their concerns and views, they say it is not allowed in their culture to sit among the men nor give their views," Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said.
The report also said there is a huge deficit of trust between the local communities and the security officials.
Ahmad Rashid, a resident of Wajir, said anti-terror police officers and military officers in the county randomly profile young people and this has led to mistrust.
"Some of my friends have disappeared mysteriously and this is rampant. How do I trust the government and cooperate with it in fighting al Shabaab?" he posed.
The report also showed that youth unemployment, poverty and lack of education make the youths vulnerable to being enlisted as terrorists.

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