Feminine masculinities in the military: The case of female combatants in the Kenya Defence Forces’ operation in Somalia

Historically, the military presents more defined gender boundaries than any other state institution. Assignment to traditionally non-feminine roles means crossing gender-assigned and constructed boundaries. This article explores the interplay of the contradictory dynamics of gender in the military through the lens of Kenyan women combatants in the war against al-Shabaab insurgents in Somalia. Military combat roles have traditionally relied on and manipulated ideas about masculinity and femininity. The study uses the twin theoretical frameworks of sociocultural capital and cultural scripts, refined by a gender-framing perspective, to interpret the sociocultural attitudes of masculinity and femininity in terms of war, the military and militarism.