Africa’s history is full of gripping stories of revolt and liberation – and in many of these, women played leading roles as warriors, strategists, and organizers. Have you ever wondered how a queen could literally fire cannons at an invading army, or how tens of thousands of market women could topple a colonial policy overnight? From the rainforests of Ethiopia to the streets of Pretoria, women across Africa stood up and fought in rebellions and campaigns that shaped nations.
In this article we’ll explore several major resistance events – spanning North, West, East, Central, and Southern Africa – and highlight the bold actions of women in each. Get ready for a tour through history, packed with vivid stories and bold heroines. (Got your favorite rebel heroine in mind already? Keep reading – you’ll meet many!)
Battle of Adwa (1896, Ethiopia)
Imagine a late 19th century battlefield in the highlands of Ethiopia. Emperor Menelik II and a largely peasant army faced off against Italy’s modern army. Leading the charge on Ethiopia’s side was Empress Taytu Betul, Menelik’s wife. She wasn’t a ceremonial queen – Taytu was a shrewd politician and fierce warrior.
When Italy’s invasion threatened Ethiopia, Taytu literally commanded artillery cannons alongside the emperor’s armyen. She urged Menelik to resist signing a disadvantageous treaty, then rode north with the army. At the Battle of Adwa in March 1896, Taytu “commanded a force of cannoneers” and helped cut down the Italian attack. The outcome was historic: Ethiopia dealt Italy one of its worst colonial defeats ever. It remains the only time an African army defeated a European colonial power in battle. Thanks to leaders like Taytu, Ethiopia preserved its independence and became a symbol of African resistance worldwide.
War of the Golden Stool (1900, Ashanti – Gold Coast)
Fast-forward a few years to West Africa’s Gold Coast (modern Ghana). In 1900, the powerful Ashanti Kingdom rebelled against British colonial rule. This revolt is famously known as the War of the Golden Stool. The Golden Stool was a sacred symbol of Ashanti nationhood, and when a British official even sat on it, fury erupted. An unlikely leader emerged: Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa of Ejisu.
In her fifties at the time, Yaa Asantewaa became the commander-in-chief of the Ashanti army. She rallied her people with a fierce promise: “If the men of Ashanti will not fight, then we, the women, will rise up against the white man”. Under her leadership, thousands of Ashanti warriors (and women) armed with spears and rifles besieged British forts. The fighting was intense – over 1,000 British and allied soldiers and 2,000 Ashanti died in the campaign. In the end the British quashed the rebellion, captured Yaa Asantewaa, and exiled her to the Seychelles. But the impact of her stand was enormous. She became a symbol of defiance; colonial authorities eased off some harsh policies, and even today there are museums and awards in Ghana honoring her spirit. Yaa Asantewaa’s daring shows how one woman’s leadership can echo across history – when she declared women would take up arms if men faltered, Ashanti men were shamed into fighting, and generations would remember that bold stand.
Aba Women’s War (1929, Nigeria)
Colonialism often overlooked women – but in 1929 the Igbo market women of southeastern Nigeria made themselves impossible to ignore. They launched what British officials snidely called the “Aba Women’s Riots”, but which we might better call a women’s rebellion or women’s war.
The spark was a rumor: the British planned to tax market women. Since these women supplied food to towns like Calabar and Owerri, they knew such taxes would wreck businesses and hunger families. Thousands of women gathered at colonial offices in November 1929 to protest. Using an age-old tactic called “sitting on a man” (mocking and shaming accused men with song and dance), they demanded the removal of corrupt local warrant chiefs and the cancellation of the taxes.
The protests quickly turned fiery: women attacked European-owned stores, raided prisons, and even burned down some courts. In response the colonial police opened fire on a crowd in Owerri, killing over 50 women. Still, nothing stopped the movement. By the time the two-month uprising ended, some 25,000 Igbo women had participated.
Faced with such unified resistance, the British government scrapped the tax plan and curbed the power of the warrant chiefs. In other words, the women won concrete concessions. The Aba Women’s War is now seen as the first major challenge to British authority in Nigeria and all of West Africa. These market women showed that organized female action – even without guns – could shake an empire.
Mau Mau Rebellion (1952–1960, Kenya)
In the 1950s, Kenya’s Mau Mau Uprising against British colonial rule was often portrayed as a men’s war, but women were deeply involved too. Kikuyu women and girls took on critical roles: some joined the fighters in the forests, carrying arms; others acted as couriers and spies, smuggling food, weapons, and messages through the enemy lines. (In fact, stolen weapons from settlers’ homes often ended up in the hands of Mau Mau, thanks to women’s secret networks.) Women also tended the fighters’ camps, cooked for the guerrillas, and provided shelter to wounded soldiers.
One example: a woman named Mukami Kimathi (wife of famous Mau Mau leader Dedan Kimathi) is remembered for smuggling supplies to fighters. Though archival accounts focused mainly on male generals, oral histories and recent research reveal women who “took up arms and joined men in the forest”, as one historian notedstandardmedia.co.ke.
Others bravely gathered intelligence – one young woman had a network reporting British troop movements. The Mau Mau never overthrew colonial rule (the British ultimately suppressed the revolt by 1960), but the rebellion set the stage for Kenya’s later independence (1963). Crucially, Mau Mau women proved that they shared the same nationalist fervor as men. Even if they didn’t all wear uniforms, their efforts were vital – as one historian wryly noted, “until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter”.
Women’s Anti-Pass March (1956, South Africa)
South Africa’s apartheid era saw women’s resistance take the form of mass protest. On August 9, 1956, some 20,000 South African women of all races (Black, Indian, “coloured”, and white) marched to Pretoria’s Union Buildingsartsandculture.google.com. They carried petitions demanding the abolition of the pass laws that controlled black women’s movements. The organizers were women’s groups like the Federation of South African Women and the ANC Women’s League. Leading the procession were iconic activists: Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, Albertina Sisulu, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, among othersartsandculture.. (Picture thousands of women walking resolutely through city streets – even with babies on their backs – singing the chant “Wathint’ abafazi, wathint’ imbokodo: You strike a woman, you strike a rock!”)
That day, when Prime Minister Strijdom refused to meet them, the women stood silent for half an hour, then handed their petition to his secretary. Although the march did not immediately repeal the laws (the apartheid regime actually enforced passes on women more strictly afterward), it was powerful symbolism. It announced to the world that women were full partners in the struggle against apartheid. In fact, in post-apartheid South Africa August 9 is now National Women’s Day, commemorating exactly this event. The 1956 march made figures like Ngoyi and Joseph household names – showing that women, too, could lead mass resistance.
Algerian War of Independence (1954–1962, Algeria)
In North Africa, the long War of Independence against French colonial rule also saw huge participation by Algerian women. Unlike earlier revolts, this struggle (1954–1962) involved entire communities. An estimated 11,000 Algerian women officially worked for the nationalist movement, and many more supported it. Most women were non-combatants – they served as nurses, cooks, and logistics helpers.
For example, rural “maquis” villages had women who carried weapons hidden as firewood, cooked for guerrillas, and nursed the wounded. But some Algerian women also became fighters. A handful (around 70) took up arms in paramilitary units, trained like male soldiers, and even carried out bombings in cities.
The most famous was Djamila Bouhired, who together with Zohra Drif and Samia Lakhdari planted bombs during the Battle of Algiers. After they were captured, Bouhired’s televised trial in 1957 shocked the world and rallied international support for Algerian independence. Her defiance under torture turned her into a symbol of female resistance. In total, Algerian women fought not only on battlefields but also in the hearts of people – by wearing the veil as a sign of protest or refusing to submit to colonial society.
The war ended in 1962 with Algerian independence. The contributions of women were later debated, but one thing is clear: women’s involvement – whether in city bombs or remote villages – was an integral part of the liberation struggle.
Across these events and regions, a pattern emerges: women were far more than bystanders in Africa’s great resistance movements. They led armies (like Taytu and Yaa Asantewaa), organized mass protests (like the Aba women and South African marchers), served as spies, medics, and even fighters (in Kenya and Algeria), and forced imperial powers to take notice.
How did they do it? Often by using traditional forms of protest (song, dance, petition), by forging female solidarity, and by stepping up when men hesitated. The outcomes varied – sometimes women’s actions directly changed policies (like dropped taxes in Nigeria), and sometimes their sacrifices paved the way for later victories (as in Kenya and Algeria).
If we look at history through their stories, a richer picture of African resistance emerges. We see that fighting colonialism and injustice was truly a shared struggle. As the Yoruba proverb goes, “Until the lioness tells her own story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” Thanks to these courageous women, their own stories have burst forth – forever engraving in history that when women strike at oppression, they strike a rock and cannot easily be crushed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Did women really fight as soldiers in African liberation wars?
A: Yes. While many women served in support roles, there were indeed female combatants. For example, Empress Taytu Betul directed artillery at Adwa, Algerian revolutionaries like Djamila Bouhired carried out bombings, and Mau Mau had women guerrillas. Estimates suggest around 11,000 Algerian women participated in various roles. Even when not on the frontline, women’s logistical and intelligence support was crucial.
Q: Who are some of the most famous women from these resistance events?
A: Several stand out: Taytu Betul (Ethiopian empress who fought Italy at Adwa); Yaa Asantewaa (Queen Mother of Ashanti, led the 1900 Golden Stool rebellion); Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn (leaders of the 1956 Women’s March in South Africa)artsandculture.; and Djamila Bouhired (Algerian FLN fighter famed for her trial). There were many others, too – like the anonymous Nigerian market women and unknown Mau Mau heroines – whose bravery made history.
Q: What tactics did women use in these protests and wars?
A: They used a mix of traditional and direct-action tactics. In Nigeria, women held all-night drumming and dancing sessions to shame chiefs (“sitting on a man”). In South Africa, women’s organizations marched peacefully with petitions. Some women disguises themselves or used sewing supplies to smuggle weapons (Kenya). And many women acted as spies – passing messages or hiding freedom fighters. The variety of tactics was wide, showing creativity and courage.
Q: What were the results of women’s participation in these struggles?
A: Often profound. In the Aba Women’s War, women forced the British to cancel a hated tax and remove oppressive chiefs. The 1956 South African march led to the creation of a national monument and Women’s Day, and showed the apartheid regime that women’s voices mattered.
Even when immediate political change was slow (as in Algeria or Kenya), women’s involvement strengthened the movements: their sacrifices helped galvanize popular support and kept communities together. In the long run, women’s resistance events have become symbols of national pride and unity.
Q: Why aren’t these women’s stories more famous?
A: There are many reasons, but one big one is that traditional history often focuses on male leaders and battles. The contribution of women – especially in support roles – was sometimes overlooked. Also, in some cultures, women speaking up was discouraged, so their accounts weren’t recorded as well.
Only in recent decades have historians started digging into archives and oral histories to highlight women’s roles (like those of Taytu, Yaa Asantewaa, Ngoyi and others). Now that we tell these stories, it’s clear that Africa’s liberation was truly a shared effort of both men and women. Each of these women’s actions reminds us: when women say, “You strike a woman, you strike a rock,” they mean business.