With few historical exceptions, it has been men who have initiated and fought in wars. Women keep the home fires burning, unless the fight reaches the home front, in which case they could become victims or casualties. With such historical tendencies acknowledged, the days of two clearly delineated, uniformed armies lining up and charging at each other are largely past, yielding to forms of combat where the distinction between combatant and civilian is often ambiguous. These changes have increased the dangers of war for women and children. While they still rarely fight in combat, they are often in the line of fire and may be viewed as legitimate collateral damage or as enemies to be conquered.