Behind every Al-Shabaab fighter stands a system that extends far beyond the battlefield. Hidden within that system are women whose stories are rarely told. Some are lured by ideology, others by deception, coercion, or marriage. Some become recruiters, intelligence collectors, financiers, propagandists, or facilitators. Others endure lives defined by fear, control, and exploitation. Understanding their experiences is not merely a matter of gender, it is essential to understanding how Al-Shabaab survives, adapts, and regenerates.

This report uncovers the hidden role of women within Al-Shabaab, drawing on evidence to examine recruitment pathways, daily life inside the organization, the functions women perform, and the experiences of foreign women who joined the group. By bringing these overlooked realities into the open, the report challenges assumptions and provides fresh insight into one of the least understood dimensions of terrorism in the Horn of Africa.