Al-Fassel | 2025-12-24

One of the most striking aspects of ISIS control was its use of women to enforce strict behavioral codes on other women.

This tactic helped the group radicalize dependents and maintain power by embedding gendered hierarchies into everyday life.

It also revealed a stark double standard in how men and women experienced life under ISIS rule.

ISIS's ideology fundamentally contradicts the core values of Islam, which center on justice and the protection of human life.

The group's extremist interpretations distort sacred teachings, standing in direct opposition to the principles embraced by the vast majority of Muslims worldwide.

Radicalizing dependents

ISIS didn't just recruit male fighters; it also targeted women, often those close to male members or within dependent family networks, to perpetuate its ideology.

Women were encouraged to join entities like the all-female al-Khansaa Brigade, a morality police unit operating within ISIS-controlled territory.

The brigade monitored and enforced strict dress and behavior codes on other women, reinforcing the group's harsh ideological control.

The group specifically trained female operatives to police women's compliance with its extreme interpretation of Sharia law.

These women were instructed to assess other women's dress, movement and outward appearance, and even minor perceived infractions resulted in detention, fines or harsh penalties.

ISIS used this system not only to enforce obedience but to draw dependents deeper into its ideological orbit.

Women who underwent policing encounters were often sent to study centers or indoctrination programs if they failed to meet ISIS standards.

This process expanded the organization's control, deepening its influence over women's daily lives and personal behavior.

A gendered double standard in treatment

While ISIS imposed stringent rules on women, its treatment of men was markedly different.

Male fighters and operatives enjoyed considerably greater freedom of movement and authority, facing fewer constraints on dress or public life than women.

Meanwhile, female police units operated only over other women and could never exercise authority over men, underscoring the hierarchy embedded in the group's worldview.

Punishments were disproportionate to minor violations, according to reports detailing harsh enforcement of ISIS rules.

Women faced lashes or corporal penalties for inappropriate clothing or traveling outside without a male chaperone.

By contrast, men's infractions, even serious ones, rarely triggered comparable community surveillance or punishment under ISIS's system.

This gendered enforcement reflects an ideology that distorts religious principles and contradicts the core values of dignity, justice and equity found in mainstream Muslim teachings.

By co-opting women to enforce these rules, ISIS both expanded its control over dependents and illustrated how extremist beliefs can warp family structures and social norms.