Despite the increasing integration of women into regular armies in some conflict-affected countries, there are still major gender inequalities in the constitution of troops for armed combat. The objective of this study is to identify the reasons for the exclusion of women from the operationalization process of special units in wartime, particularly in the fight against violent extremism in the far north of Cameroon. Using a narrative and constructivist approach, the analysis is based on interview data collected from a sample of officers and non commissioned officers in the Cameroonian Army, specifically in the Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR).