Al-Qaeda has been exploiting women in areas it controls through a system of abuse that includes their forced marriage to fighters and coercion to serve as spies, recruiters and even suicide bombers, analysts told Salaam Times.
United Nations findings paint a grim picture of how extremist groups have steadily militarized the role of women across Africa's Sahel region, where al-Qaeda affiliates maintain strongholds through the use of terror and intimidation.
International organizations have documented hundreds of forced "marriages" to fighters, often involving girls as young as 12. Survivors endure severe trauma with virtually no access to mental health support or legal protection.
In Mali and Burkina Faso, for example, al-Qaeda enforces strict controls over women's daily lives, severely restricting their movement, education and employment opportunities.
"Women are exploited as tools of war -- used for sexual jihad, sexual slavery, and even espionage missions," Ankara-based human rights activist Zofunoon Ahmadi told Salaam Times.
"In areas ruled by groups like al-Qaeda, women are effectively stripped of all human rights," he said.
"These groups operate with patriarchal, tribal and authoritarian structures in which women are valued solely for reproduction or serving the fighters."
In areas where the group holds sway, women face severe punishments, including stoning, flogging or death if they resist orders from group leaders, Ahmadi said.
Abuse scars communities
"This abuse threatens to scar communities for generations to come," Spain-based Africa expert Abdul Khalil Mostafawi told Salaam Times.
"The collapse of the legal system, absence of impartial courts, elimination of civil institutions, and the constant fear of retaliation have made it impossible for female victims to seek justice," he said.
"Without rebuilding judicial systems and strengthening psychological and social support networks, African communities will face growing injustice and generational crises," Mostafawi added.
"Al-Qaeda distorts concepts such as marriage, jihad and guardianship to promote a violent narrative of women's roles in Islamic society," Ankara-based Islamic studies researcher Ruhollah Haqnazar told Salaam Times.
"In this framework, women have no active social role and are only valued if they serve the group's interests," he said.
But this stands in contrast to Islam's core principles, which establish justice, dignity and respect for women, he said.
