At the roots of the armed conflict in Mali are marginalization, social inequality and cleavages that are built in to the Malian society. This also includes gender roles and gender relations, which have often been omitted from conflict analyses, or merely included as per obligation. Broadening the understanding of gender as comprising women, men, girls and boys, and integrating gender roles and relations as a natural part of a conflict analysis, has proven a rare exercise. The present study, commissioned by Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense, aims at contributing to a deeper understanding of the armed conflict in Mali. The purpose is to provide guidance to policy considerations regarding international support to Mali, and the surrounding region, by exploring the local conflict dynamics and more specifically by illuminating how gender relations and the status of men and women can impact conflict dynamics and the prospects for sustainable peace.