Submission made April 2022

As part of the government’s priority to address violent extremism in all its forms, the eventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Policy Team in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) ran an online hui in April 2022 to strengthen their understanding of the link between gender and violent extremism. The hui was called ‘Extremism and violence in the context of gender and sexuality’ and was attended by invited stakeholders, including the National Collective of Independent Women's Refuges (NCWIR).

Following the hui NCIWR wrote this submission, providing feedback on on the link between intimate partner violence (IPV) and violent extremism. NCIWR highlight that gender-based violence and misogynist views underpin the motives, worldviews, and actions of most violent extremists, and that intimate terrorism is often associated with subsequent violent extremism despite being commonly overlooked in most preventive and response strategies.

NCIWR also discuss the need for (and current lack of) a gendered violence perspective when advancing strategies to end violent extremism. Given the apparently bidirectional relationship between the two, countering violent extremism is unlikely to be successful without a corresponding focus on countering the growth of misogynist ideology in Aotearoa.

This submsission is now available on the NCIWR website.

Follow the links to see the current work of the work of the DPMC's eventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) Policy Team. Record #8123