Social Media and the Dynamics of Radicalization and Violent Extremism among Female Migrant Workers

Abstract

AbstractFemale migrant workers, especially domestic workers, have often been portrayed as victims of exploitation, abuse, violence, and marginalization in the literature. In recent years, however, reports on the radicalization of female migrant workers and their engagement in terrorism have started to emerge. Female migrant workers, who were otherwise only nominally religious before migrating for work, are reportedly embracing radicalized forms of religion and violence after being exposed to extremist content on social media. This paper sheds light on this phenomenon in relation to the widespread use of social media. It fits within an emerging body of literature that is beginning to portray these workers as agents for change and of their own destiny rather than helpless subjects and victims of exploitation. The paper examines the role of religion and religious institutions as a means for coping as well as for empowerment, emancipation, and resistance. It also questions the interlinkages between the feminization of international labour migration and violent extremism, and it calls for more research on the lived experiences of vulnerable female workers in order to better understand the complex and multifaceted dynamics of radicalization and violent extremism within the context of migration, especially in relation to the role of technology.