Asente Meret Abdulla

Ethiopian warrior and women's rights advocate who led resistance against Italian colonialism

Asente Meret Abdulla (1905-1983) was a legendary Ethiopian warrior and women's rights pioneer who fought alongside her husband during the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in the 1930s. Born into the Oromo ethnic group, she became renowned for her bravery during the Battle of Maichew where she personally led 500 soldiers in a decisive counterattack against Italian forces. Beyond military contributions, she established Ethiopia's first women's militia to train female fighters and later founded schools promoting literacy among rural women. Her memoir published in 1952 remains a key primary source on colonial resistance strategies.

Abdulla's legacy influenced later African independence movements through her innovative use of gendered resistance tactics. The Ethiopian government now honors her with an annual military training camp for young women, while her leadership model inspired similar initiatives in Somalia and Eritrea. Recent scholarship highlights her as a proto-feminist figure who combined combat prowess with educational advocacy, a rare combination in early 20th century Africa.