Scholars exploring the link between democracy and the tendency of countries to go to war have provided quantitative evidence linking gender equality and the likelihood of armed conflict. These findings call for further analysis on how gender relations interlink with micro dynamics of violence and peacebuilding. Such knowledge is crucial for gender sensitive peacebuilding efforts. More than 10 years after the path breaking UN Security Council Resolution 1325, gender has been mainstreamed into most peacebuilding activities but adequate implementation on the ground is hampered by the current lack of evidence‐based promising practices.