Media reports often portray women travelling to Syria and Iraq as 'jihadi brides' or as 'comfort women,' providing sexual services to boost the morale of fighters, sometimes termed 'Jihad al-Nikah' (sexual jihad). These women are seen as offering themselves for sexual comfort to Daesh fighters striving to establish Islamic rule in the Levant. The term 'jihadi brides' specifically denotes women migrating to Syria to marry jihadi fighters. These women are frequently depicted as naive, overly romantic, captivated by the glorified images of heroic fighters, and desiring to bear children to ensure the longevity of the Caliphate. Many are also portrayed as victims lured by unscrupulous men to Iraq and Syria. Within Daesh, women are often referred to as 'mujahirat' or migrants, travelling to the Caliphate to join the war effort.

Human trafficking is a serious human rights violation and a complex cross-border crime with far-reaching impacts.1 Several United Nations Security Council Resolutions underscore the concern that terrorist groups profit from human trafficking, notably through four types of trafficking; sexual exploitation, forced recruitment, slavery, and kidnapping of women.