Reiteration or reinvention? Jihadi governance and gender practices in the Sahel

Can focusing on gender help us to better understand the mobilization capacity of jihadi insurgent groups and their social roots in Sahel? A growing literature has explored factors that motivate people join such Africa. The Sahel provides a salient case, but prevalent focus agent-based explanations tended overlook role relations constructions. This article explores potential practice theory shed light intersubjective rules, roles, meanings whether how influences Sahel. study contributes feminist security studies by looking at investigating it is reassertion (practice homology) or emerging misalignment hysteresis) Fulani practices best characterizes acceptance and/or rejection governance men women discusses empirical evidence collected during extensive fieldwork Mali Niger. We suggest strategically choosing either reproduce reshape traditional practices, insurgencies linked Islamic State al-Qaeda milieu central gain popular support.