in all countries state militaries are predominantly male by a wide margin as are most militarystyle organisations such as paramilitaries guerrilla groups militia village guards private security companies and the like being a soldier and the use of force is often explicitly linked to manhood similarly gangs and extremist groups tend to be heavily male dominated they also often espouse attitudes ideologies and practices that draw on extreme understandings of masculinity misogyny and intolerance of those with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities sogi