My research examines the role of gender in Islamist violent extremism and in counter terrorism. This is the focus of my monograph Gender, Religion, Extremism (Oxford University Press, 2020). My policy work addresses gender mainstreaming in preventing and countering extremism. Most recently this includes grounding the rehabilitation and reintegration policies and programmes for those affiliated with terrorist organisations within gender sensitive and human rights frameworks.

Projects

• Gender Mainstreaming and Returnees
• Youth work and countering radicalisation and violent extremism
• Humanities for resilience - forming an alternative framework for international development aid

I became Professor of Gender, Religion and Global Security in 2024, having joined Birmingham University’s Department of Theology and Religion in January 2016. Between 2020-2024 I was a visiting fellow at the University of Bari, Aldo Moro in Italy. Since 2016, I have engaged in a number of projects for international organisations, such as UN Women and UNOCT, as well as producing a number of policy and practitioner outputs for the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network; acted as an expert witness in court cases involving women and children; and am a Commissioner for the Bingham Independent Commission on UK Counter-Terrorism law, policy and practices.

My early career at the University of Southampton, the Open University and King’s College London shaped my approach to education, and a affirmed my commitment to engaging practitioners in counter-terrorism and preventing and countering violent extremism. I completed my PhD in 2005 on the comparative politics of the Islamisation of Muslim women’s rights in the UK, Malaysia and Egypt. My PhD and MSc were funded by the ESRC, and completed at the University of Birmingham.