This article focuses on the category of gender as a necessary dimension to explain armed conflict. We argue on the one hand that a gendered perspective would render state-, economy-, or identity-related explanations better equipped to grasp the complexity of armed conflicts. On the other hand, we propose that large scale violence based on gender needs to be taken more seriously, both as a violent structure in itself and as a crucial element of intersectional escalation of violence. The example of the Guatemalan civil war illustrates the impact of oppressive gender orders on the perpetuation of violence at different stages of the conflict.
