Framing Female Returnees: Media Representations of Women Repatriated from ISIS in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This paper examines how female returnees from Syria are represented in Kazakhstani media through gendered assumptions. It focuses on women repatriated under Kazakhstan’s Operation Jusan following the territorial defeat of the so-called Islamic State (IS, also commonly referred to as ISIS). The study draws on around 25 pieces of media content, including news articles from Tengrinews, Khabar, Sputnik Kazakhstan, ZTB News, Inform.kz, Caravan.kz, Azattyq, and Vlast, as well as official press releases from Akorda, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the National Security Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It explores how women are framed as victims, wives, mothers, or security threats, and how these portrayals intersect with national policy priorities. Gendered narratives simplify complex realities by relying on socially prescribed ideas of how men and women are expected to act during conflict. The findings show that Kazakhstani media often adopt a humane, state-centered discourse, presenting returnees as vulnerable mothers in need of rehabilitation, while simultaneously reinforcing state legitimacy through a protective, paternalistic tone. Although this framing differs from many Western portrayals, it still deprives women of agency, reduces their motivations to naivety or obedience to male partners, and may hinder genuine reintegration efforts. The discourse remains selective, avoiding deeper debates on reintegration, gender, and rights; only those who conform to the state-sanctioned narrative are heard, while women whose experiences challenge it remain marginalized or silenced. The study argues that even benevolent narratives can function as tools of political control. Recognizing the influence of gendered framings is therefore crucial for developing more inclusive approaches to transitional justice, gender equality, and sustainable security and reintegration policies.