The Northern Irish Troubles lasted for almost thirty years, from 1969 to 1998. Variousscholars have studied many aspects of this conflict, but women in loyalist and republican paramilitaries are often overlooked. This thesis seeks to rectify the oversight by using women paramilitary members’ voices to understand why they joined, why they fought, how they were perceived by their societies, their male comrades, and ultimately, themselves. To achieve this aim, this thesis uses a comparative lens to examine the diametrically opposed view of loyalist and republican women. These two groups of women are rarely examined, and if they are studied, it is almost always separately. By examining both groups of paramilitary women in the same space, it allows for a greater understanding of the differences and fractures present within Northern Irish society during the Troubles. Further, this thesis examines the question of why women paramilitary actors are not included in conflict negotiation and peace talks, and how their absence ultimately led to a continuum of violence.