Zedekia SidhaIsrael Nyadera2026-07-062026-07-062026-04Sidha, Z., & Nyadera, I. N. (2026). Beyond victimhood: gendered pathways to violent extremism and the imperative of transformative counter-strategies in Kenya’s borderlands. Critical Studies on Terrorism, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2026.2655509https://doi.org/10.1080/17539153.2026.2655509https://repository.ndu.ac.ke/handle/123456789/225This article seeks to examine gendered pathways to violent extremism. Drawing on feminist security studies and constructivist theory, it analyses the evolving relationship between gendered dynamics and violent extremism (VE) recruitment in Garissa County, Kenya. Using data from 120 life-history interviews, UCINET-based social network analysis, key informant interviews, and longitudinal survey data (N = 400), the study empirically traces different gendered pathways into Al-Shabaab networks. The results indicate that economic precarity intersects with shifting masculinities (driven by unattainable provider roles, absent fathers, and substance abuse) and femininities that are constrained (exacerbated by marital pressures, illiteracy, and economic desperation) to form distinctive vulnerabilities. Critically, the findings show how violent extremist actors strategically weaponise gendered fractures by offering alternative forms of belonging, recognition, and identity. The study shows a significant increase in the recruitment of women (approximately 35% of new cases), not only as logistical supporters but also as propagandists, recruiters, and coerced “wives,” with their perceived invisibility often exploited operationally. At the same time, the study identifies a major gap in CVE communication approaches: key local influencers, especially mothers and religious leaders, remain poorly integrated into mainstream CVE channels such as radio and baraza forums.enArticle