Africa’s struggle against colonial rule is often associated with male leaders. Yet women also played a major role in resistance movements, leading uprisings, mobilising communities and challenging colonial authorities.
Nzinga Mbande, ruler of Ndongo and Matamba in present-day Angola, resisted Portuguese expansion for decades. Kimpa Vita, a Congolese religious leader, called for the restoration and reunification of the Kingdom of Kongo. Kenyan activist Mekatilili wa Menza became one of the most prominent symbols of the Giriama people’s resistance to British colonial rule.
Watch Professor Lumumba’s lecture on the women whose stories are an essential part of the history of Africa’s anti-colonial resistance.
