The women, peace and security (WPS) agenda did not emerge only as a result of scholarly discourse or policy deliberations but from the reality of gendered experiences from the ground. Before it became political, WPS had a moral imperative; it originated from the quotidian acts of survival, with a straightforward appeal: that peace cannot be structurally attained while half of the population is excluded. However, recently the actors who have no intention of upholding its ideals are now appropriating the agenda that sprang from human sorrow and unwavering hope. The procedure Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has adopted in assimilating women into its logistical channels and digital space has become one of the most worrying illustrations in South Asia.

For long, Jaish-e-Mohammad operated exclusively in a world that was male-centric, with stringent male-controlled hierarchies governing authority. Recent trends, however, paint a more disturbing picture frequently missed by popular narratives. Women now play roles that were previously not much talked about: providing their voices to stories that are deliberately designed to confuse and disarm. These are not women.

This change was briefly apparent in the story of the Delhi blast. The public discourse was altered by even the suggestion of women’s participation. It confused communities that had previously relied on gendered assumptions to assess threat, and it unnerved analysts who were used to viewing militancy as a purely male domain. JeM is aware of how powerful such disruption can be. It is........

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