The Role of Muslim Women in Britain in Relation to the Government’s ‘Prevent Agenda’

Abstract

This chapter explores the role of Muslim women in British Society in the context of the Labour Government’s anti-terror legislation, one aspect of which was initiated as an attempt to build the capacity and resilience of Muslim communities to Prevent Violent Extremism (PVE) within specifically targeted local authorities. The chapter will examine why the government chose to develop and implement elements within the PVE strategy that focus specifically on the empowerment of Muslim women, with an emphasis on women from certain ‘priority’ backgrounds, through a range of local authority and nationally driven initiatives. It will also discuss how successful these methods were in preventing violent extremism and in increasing the capacity of resisting such attitudes and behaviours within the Muslim community.