The unsung female heroes of Africa’s liberation you should know

Gertrude Kandanga-Hilukilwa. Photo: Facebook

Gertrude Kandanga-Hilukilwa, Namibia

Often referred to as Namibia’s first female hero, Gertrude was instrumental in mobilising Namibians to join active politics. She was the founding member of South West African People’s Organisation (SWAPO), later becoming the chair of the party’s women’s council and one of the first women to be part of the Ovamboland People’s Organisation (OPO).

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Her political activism saw her arrest and imprisonment without trial for 15 months. She was forced into exile in 1984, only coming back to the country in 1989 a year before independence.

Upon her death in 2002 in a car accident, Gertrude was afforded a heroes’ burial and was buried at the Heroes’ Acre.