Rebel Girls: Yaa Asantewaa

Yaa Asantewaa 

Yaa Asantewaa is said to have born in 1840 and passed away in 1921, she was a very successful farmer and mother. 

She c=became famous for leading the Ashanti rebellion against British colonialism to defend the Golden stool, she also promoted Gender equality and sticking up for girls. 

Her brother Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpese  was the ruler of Ejisuhene Nana Akwasi Afrane Okpase this was an ethnic group, and he appointed her as queen mother however he died, and she used her influence as queen mother to nominate her grandson as ruler. However in 1896 he was exiled by the British as this was the way the British dealt with African kings in the past. 

To further the authority they hold the British Governor-General of Ghana (then known as the Gold Coast) Frederick Hodgson, wanted the Golden Stool which was the symbol of the Asante kingdom. 

The men in the tribe were not fighting for the land so Yaa Asantewaa wanted to gather the women to fight for the land, she led the famous war known as the war of the Golden Stool in 1900 against the British. However she was captured and exiled by the British and died in exile on the 17th of October 1921. She inspired many women as she was the first and last African women to have led a major war.

This was very inspiring because she did what people didn't think females could do, lead people and do things that the men were afraid to do.



References:

Elena, F., and Francesca, C., 2016. Goodnight Stories For Rebel Girls. Timbuktu Labs, Incorporated 

Blackhistoryheroes.com, Queen Mother Nana Yaa Asantewaa of West Africa's Ashanti Empire. [online] Available at: <http://www.blackhistoryheroes.com/2010/05/queen-mother-nana-yaa-asantewaa.html> [Accessed 4 May 2018]