Sahana Dharmapuri is an independent gender adviser and expert on women, peace and security issues. She is a former fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Her writing has appeared in the Christian Science Monitor, CNN, Women's eNews, Parameters: Journal of the U.S. Army War College, The Global Responsibility to Protect Journal, and other publications.
Women are the key eyes and ears when political violence swells in their communities. But the failure to recognize and support them as political actors undermines our ability to counter violent extremism.
In the world of pen vs. gun, we would all benefit from putting the Arab proverb “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” to good use. If women's rights are a security threat to violent extremists, then women's rights must be the asset we protect.
