Introduction
The rise of radicalization and extremism across Europe necessitates nuanced, intersectional approaches to prevention and intervention. This paper explores the societal challenges landscape, focusing on the unique vulnerabilities, needs, and pathways of young women into extremism across four European nations: France, Greece, Italy, and Romania.
Background
The theoretical foundation of this research integrates several leading psychosocial explanations of extremism. Prominent scholars define extremism as "a vocal or active opposition to fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs" (Scarcella et al., 2016). Key frameworks include the influence of personality traits, core motivational drives such as the quest for significance, the need for belonging and identity, and the need for cognitive closure (Gruda and McCleskey, 2025; Doosje et al., 2016; Hogg, 2015; Kruglanski et al., 2021). Crucially, the theoretical baseline applies a distinct gendered lens, exploring how militancy can paradoxically act as a form of empowerment (Sunde et al., 2020), a means to escape familial constraints (Oppetit et al., 2019), or a mechanism for ideological protectionism (e.g., defending traditional family values or racial purity) (Pearson, 2023).
Purpose
The primary aim of this research is to establish a comprehensive societal baseline that informs human-centric, gender-aware prevention developments. Specific objectives include: (1) mapping the individual and structural push-and-pull drivers of radicalization, particularly for women and girls; and (2) deconstructing the intersectional dynamics (such as socio-economic background, age, and digital literacy) that shape extremist pathways.
Method
Developed under the Horizon project AMALTHEA between February and May 2026 , the study employs a robust, mixed-methods research design anchored in an intersectional perspective. The methodology includes a desk review, semi-structured expert interviews (8 experts), and co-creation workshops (4 participatory sessions with groups of 10-12 young people).
Results
The radicalization process is rarely linear or mono-causal; rather, it is the result of a complex interplay between individual vulnerabilities, structural grievances, and enabling environments. Findings indicate that a lack of trust in democracy and in the structures of society constitutes the first and major rupture from which a person engages in the process of extremism and possibly radicalization. Proposed outcomes of this case study include a refined mapping of gender-specific vulnerability typologies relevant to the four country context.