DOZ Inspirational Biography
YAA ASANTEWAA
or many, women and men alike, the kitchen
is the place for women; and for centuries,
women have been perceived as weak and
incapable of handling responsibilities outside the
home. Nevertheless, history records that some
women were warriors who fought for the freedom
of both men and women. They were fearless but
feared by their enemies; and dreaded like thick
darkness. They were war generals and authentic
leaders who courageously led warriors to battle
even when the chances of returning were slim to
none. The queen mother of Ejisu in the Ashanti
Empire, Yaa Asantewaa, was one of such women.
Yaa Asantewaa was born in 1859 at Besease in
Southern Ghana. She was the eldest of two children
and turned out to be bravest of all women during
her lifetime. She was a woman who honoured her
word and was ready to die a glorious death for her
kingdom rather than live a dishonorable life under
the rule of the British.
Before the need arose for
a true warrior in her land,
and fearful men became
content to live like slaves,
Yaa Asantewaa was a
farmer, a wife, and mother
of two children. Her life
was transformed when her
brother Nana Akwasi Afrane
Opese who became the chief
of Edwesu appointed her as
the queen mother of Ejisu.
Her bravery became evident
when the reign of her
brother was threatened
by unforeseen events,
which included civil war.
However, after the death
of her brother and the
nomination of her grandson
as the new Ejisuhene, it
seemed bravery completely
disappeared from the land.
Things quickly
deteriorated, and men of
DOZ Magazine | July 2019
courage became men paralysed by fear after her
grandson, the king of Asante Prempe 1, and other
respected members of the Asante government
were exiled to Seychelles by the British in 1896.
She became the acting regent of the Ejisu-Juaben
district. It was at this point that the British
demanded the Golden Stool, which is the symbol
of the Asante nation.
The situation demanded an urgent meeting, but
the outcome showed that men were too afraid
to go against the British. She spoke out bravely
and was appointed the war leader of the famous
Ashanti war or war of the Golden Stool. She
became the first and only woman to ever assume
the position of a war leader in Asante history.
She was captured during the war, along with
fifteen of her closest advisers and they were exiled
to Seychelles on October 17, 1921. She never
returned to her homeland. She died in exile on the
27th day of December
1924. The British
exercised control over
their lands for years,
but the freedom the
Ashanti people fought
for became a reality
on March 6, 1957.
Yaa Asantewaa was
a woman with a
vision beyond the
kitchen. Although
she is dead, yet she
lives forever as a
hero whose bravery
challenged both
men and women.
She demonstrated
that women are not
weak and that even
when strong men
choose to do nothing,
a woman can rise to
fight for what is right
even when it means
fighting alone.
12
F
Mercy James