By Benedikt Büchsenschütz (Violence Prevention Network)

This blog post summarises findings from the publication *“Nur für Akhwat? – A Gender-Specific Analysis of Islamist Networks, Actors and Structures on Instagram“* (German title: *„Nur für Akhwat? – Eine genderspezifische Analyse islamistischer Netzwerke, Akteur*innen und Strukturen auf Instagram“\*), published in December 2024 within the project SOMEX (Social Media Extreme). The study investigates which accounts and topics are particularly prominent among followers of Islamist Instagram accounts run by women. Drawing on a network analysis of the subscription behaviour of over 5,000 anonymised users, it highlights the relevance of current political conflicts, the visibility of well-known male preachers and Islamist actors, and gender-specific patterns of communication. This blog post outlines the core findings and reflects on their implications for prevention, social work, and policy-making.

Introduction

As social media continues to play an increasingly central role in the circulation of ideological content, platforms such as Instagram have become important arenas for the formation and consolidation of Islamist networks. While public attention and academic research have often focused on male actors within these digital ecosystems, the role and visibility of accounts run by individuals perceived as female[1]remain considerably underexplored. This blog article summarises findings from a recent publication from the SOMEX project that set out to investigate precisely these dynamics: How are female-presenting Islamist accounts embedded in Instagram networks? What roles do they play, and how do they relate to dominant male actors? By focusing on gendered structures of influence and visibility, the study sheds new light on the gender-specific dimensions of online extremism and ideological propagation.

Methodology

The starting point for the research methodology was a selection of twenty seed channels, all of which were female-presenting Instagram accounts. These channels were identified primarily through Instagram’s internal recommendation algorithms, but the final selection was guided and refined by expert input to ensure relevance and diversity within the dataset. From this basis, a network analysis was conducted to identify relational patterns, thematic overlaps, and ideological groupings. The result was the identification of six distinct clusters, each reflecting different thematic orientations and relational densities

The methodological approach included both qualitative content analysis and relational mapping, aiming to contextualise ideological positions within a broader gender-sensitive framework. In coding the data, the researchers encountered specific challenges – particularly in distinguishing between accounts that clearly represented Islamist positions and those that, while highly religious, did not align with established Islamist organisations or narratives. This grey area, especially visible in relation to influential religious figures from non-democratic contexts, highlights the need for careful and nuanced categorisation. Additionally, the positionality of the researchers and their prolonged exposure to extremist content necessitated critical reflection, underscoring the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological vigilance.

Findings

The network analysis revealed that female-presenting Islamist accounts on Instagram are indeed embedded within broader Islamist ecosystems, but in roles that differ markedly from those of their male counterparts. While none of the female-presenting accounts appeared to function as ideological originators or agenda-setters, many were actively involved in republishing, amplifying, and curating content initially produced by male Islamist actors. This includes the redistribution of posts from both Salafist and Hizb ut-Tahrir affiliated accounts, two ideological strands that remain influential within German-speaking Islamist digital environments.

In terms of content and presentation, female-presenting accounts displayed significantly lower follower counts, rarely appeared with real names or personal photographs, and largely communicated through text-based formats. This aligns with normative expectations within Islamist frameworks, which often advocate for the restricted visibility of women in public and especially online spheres. Interestingly, there was no observed reciprocity: while women amplified male voices, no male-led accounts were found to repost or otherwise elevate the content of female-presenting accounts. This one-directional pattern suggests the persistence of gender hierarchies within the digital realm of Islamist discourse.

Furthermore, the study found that accounts associated with political activism and Hizb ut-Tahrir in particular such as Botschaft des Islam, Generation Islam, and Realität Islam are highly popular among followers of female-presenting Islamist accounts. These findings point to a significant alignment between gender-specific content and broader ideological currents. At the same time, the content shared by women tends to centre less on political mobilisation and more on themes such as modesty, child-rearing, and the moral responsibilities of Muslim women reinforcing gendered roles within the ideological framework of Islamism.

The analysis also revealed that several accounts embedded in the Islamist milieu showed strong links to reporting and content concerning Gaza and the wider Israel-Palestine conflict. These themes resonate particularly strongly within this segment of Instagram’s user base and form part of a wider pattern of socio-political mobilisation. Importantly, this overlap was observed in the follower networks of female-presenting accounts, suggesting a shared engagement with political grievances though often articulated through a gendered and religious lens.

Discussion

Taken together, the findings underscore the relevance of gender-sensitive approaches in the analysis of extremist networks. Female-presenting accounts do not merely exist on the periphery; they play specific and often underestimated roles in amplifying, translating, and emotionally contextualising Islamist narratives. Their content is typically less overtly political, yet it contributes to the stabilisation and spread of ideological frameworks that normalise hierarchical gender roles, binary identities, and exclusionary worldviews.

The absence of female-originated ideological leadership, combined with the strong orientation towards male-produced content, reflects broader dynamics of marginalisation within Islamist contexts. At the same time, the apparent compliance with male-prescribed norms of online invisibility suggests a degree of internalisation or at least strategic navigation of ideological boundaries. The relatively low visibility of these actors should not be mistaken for irrelevance. On the contrary, their contribution to the resonance and reach of Islamist content is significant and warrants further attention.

The study also exposes the limitations of rigid ideological categorisation. For instance, some accounts appear to operate in a grey zone between conservative religious practice and politicised Islamism. This complexity challenges both researchers and practitioners to move beyond binary classifications and to develop more differentiated analytical tools that consider the spectrum of belief, identity, and mobilisation strategies.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The study provides new insights into the gendered dimensions of Islamist activity on Instagram and offers concrete implications for prevention and policy work. First, the findings clearly point to the necessity of gender-sensitive digital prevention strategies. Female-presenting users must be addressed with approaches that are attuned to their specific content consumption patterns, aesthetic preferences, and modes of engagement. These approaches should consider not only religious content, but also socio-political themes such as Gaza and Palestine, which appear to function as important entry points into ideological networks.

Second, the importance of cooperation between content monitoring initiatives and practitioners cannot be overstated. The effective design of interventions requires not only technical expertise, but also an understanding of the everyday realities and motivations of female audiences within Islamist contexts. Projects should integrate such knowledge proactively and ensure that it informs both digital analysis and offline work with communities.

Third, while some female-presenting accounts operate at the margins of the Islamist spectrum and show overlaps with non-Islamist networks, these liminal spaces should not be dismissed as irrelevant. Instead, they may offer potential points of entry for constructive dialogue or alternative narratives provided that such efforts avoid stigma by association and proceed with careful contextual awareness.

Lastly, prevention efforts must remain adaptive and reflexive. The fast pace of platform evolution and narrative shifts requires ongoing exchange between researchers, practitioners, and digital analysts. Institutionalising such exchanges – through regular workshops, expert panels, and interdisciplinary cooperation will be key to maintaining both analytical precision and practical relevance.

You can download the complete SOMEX Short Paper 1 (Network analysis) in German language here.

Benedikt Büchsenschütz is a Research Fellow at Violence Prevention Network, with a focus on gender in extremism, (online) radicalisation, and hybrid ideologies. He holds a Master’s degree in Crisis and Security Management: Governance of Radicalism, Extremism and Terrorism (MSc) from Leiden University.

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[1] To enhance the reliability of our classification, we developed a metric aimed at verifying whether the accounts were genuinely operated by women or female-presenting individuals.