To date, research on Violent Extremism (VE) has devoted less attention on the place and role of women in recruitment and radicalization. As a result, strategies and programs aimed at preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) have largely been skewed towards male recruits and the masculine settings. It is against this background that this survey was planned. The aim is to complement efforts by the Kenyan government and other relevant actors in promoting an all-inclusive understanding and better responses to VE. The survey focused on Muslim women and girls in the VE hot-spot areas of Mombasa, Kilifi, Lamu and Kwale at the coast; Mandera, Wajir and Garissa in north eastern; and Isiolo in eastern Kenya.
The methodology used entailed a review of secondary documents published in various forms (media articles, books and reports, among others) and primary data collection techniques including; Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). The assessment team used a structured interview guide to conduct interviews, but it was flexible enough to adapt questions to the context of the interviewee and/or when it was necessary to pursue more information. Data analysis was largely qualitative in nature. It involved thinking through the data collected with the aim of looking for meanings and discoveries about attitudes of Muslim women and girls towards extremist groups and VE in
the regions surveyed