Women as ‘new security actors’ in preventing and countering violent extremism in Mali

Abstract The frames of counterterrorism and countering violent extremism are increasingly shaping much international engagement in Mali. In this environment, women's contributions often reduced to their peacemaking potential. This article studies how the UN policy agendas on Women, Peace Security (WPS) Preventing Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) translated discourses P/CVE It draws feminist postcolonial scholarship develop a framework for analysing local intermediaries norm translation engage ‘discursive practices re-presentation’ conducts discourse analysis interviews with Malian civil society government representatives. finds that re-presentation women as security actors, constructed an extension roles peacemakers, dominates discourse. I use term ‘new actors’ describe dominant emerges context: woman who will contribute preventing radicalization by influencing, counselling, and/or informing her family or community members. ‘New actors’, however, problematic which emphasizes traditional gender potentially exposes risks, many ways seem contradict normative aspirations WPS agenda.