In Chad, kidnapping for ransom has become a pervasive form of organized crime, particularly in the southern border region with Cameroon and the Central African Republic. The issue has evolved from opportunistic local banditry in the 1990s to a nationwide economy of crime and conflict. Despite regional differences, a common narrative portrays men as perpetrators and women as victims. However, experts suggest that this narrow view overlooks the complex roles women play in enabling kidnapping economies.
Women are not only direct or indirect victims of kidnapping but also participate as informants, enablers, clients, and even direct perpetrators. In some cases, female kidnappers have been arrested and imprisoned in Chad. Women may provide personal information to help perpetrators target potential victims or shelter male kidnappers in their homes. Additionally, women can be clients of kidnappers, arranging abductions for personal reasons, such as punishing a family member or seeking financial gain.
The involvement of women in kidnapping economies is often masked by local gender norms that discourage women’s participation in crime and violence. As a result, policy responses have been blind to the deeper gendered dynamics that enable these economies. The lack of gender-focused research and sparse media coverage of kidnappings have contributed to the persistence of this problem.
To address the kidnapping crisis in Chad, it is essential to adopt a gender-informed approach that recognizes women as multidimensional actors in kidnapping economies. This requires incorporating analysis of gender norms, sexual commodification, and women’s mobilization into research, media reporting, and security policy. By acknowledging the complex roles women play, policymakers can develop more effective responses to prevent kidnappings and build resilience.
The failure to address the reality of women’s multiple roles has significant security implications, leaving entire segments of kidnapping economies untouched and prolonging insecurity. A deliberate shift is needed to break this cycle, and policymakers must ask new questions about how gendered norms shape participation in kidnapping and how sexual and economic economies intersect. By engaging women as actors in kidnapping economies, rather than solely as victims, it is possible to develop more sustainable solutions to Chad’s kidnapping crisis.
