by women, who can challenge extremist narratives in homes, schools and social environments, and have particular influence among youth populations. . (5) Extremist groups take strategic advantage of the relative absence of women in police and military forces. As security officials, women provide distinct insights, information, and analyses that can be mission-critical in keeping the peace. They may have access to populations and sites that men do not, allowing them to gather critical intelligence about potential security threats. (6) Research has demonstrated a relationship between the security of women and the security of states. According to a Texas A&M study, less empowerment for women in the household correlates with less stability nationwide, measured by political instability, lack of freedoms, autocracy, corruption, and internal conflict. Countries where women are less empowered at the household level are also more likely to produce foreign fighters going to territory controlled by terrorist organizations. (7) Counterterrorism policy has not been as effective at understanding how women can improve security efforts. According to the June 2016 U.S. National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, A narrow understanding of women’s roles in CVE [countering violent extremism] limits policy options and perpetuates strategic blind spots, such as failing to recognize women’s agency as potential mitigators and perpetrators of violence. . (8) According to a 2015 United States Agency for International Development study of women’s participation in violent extremism, there has been a marked gap in CVE [countering violent extremism] programming, which has focused mostly on male participation, without a commensurate reflection on and response to female-specific drivers and recruitment strategies. . (9) The Department of State & USAID Joint Strategy on Countering Violent Extremism , dated May 2016, notes that women can play a critical role in identifying and addressing drivers of violent extremism in their families,