The intensification of an unconventional war in Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique has translated into widespread violence against civilians. Being physically weaker, a target for sexual predation by armed youth, and traditionally a food producer, women are a recurrent target during armed conflict and remain in a particularly vulnerable position. Following the ongoing conflict in northern Cabo Delgado, women remain vulnerable to food insecurity, being victims of aggression and kidnapping by insurgent groups, destruction of property, physical attacks and killings, rape, abductions, and lack of access to justice. However, viewing women only as passive victims of the conflict does not capture the complexity of the situation, argues João Feijó in his contribution to the security series. Voluntarily or forcibly, by conviction or without alternative, by revolt or opportunism, seeking protection and economic advantages, groups of women play an active role in the military conflict, participating as observers and providers of information, in providing logistical support and camouflage, as recruiters, vigilantes, and even as guerrillas. The author demonstrates how feelings of social injustice are being exploited by insurgent groups as a recruitment and membership strategy. Reversing this vicious cycle will be the biggest challenge for the government, humanitarian organizations, and civil society.