#arraweelo

Queen Arawelo ruled what is now known as modern day Somalia, around 15 AD. Eldest born to a King who only had female daughter, she naturally succeeded him as heir. She was one of the original feminists and believed in empowering the women of her country.

Being a female queen was a rarity in those days. But she set out to prove that women could do a great job of ruling a kingdom just as well as men. In a time where Kings were making rash decisions to initiate wars, Queen Arawelo was nurturing her women to become strong and independent.

She strongly believed women should not rely on their husbands to be the sole breadwinners of the family. She also demanded that there must be no segregation in both women’s and men’s duties. This led her to actively encourage women to take up masculine roles and become providers for their families.

During her rule, Queen Arawelo had a disagreement with her husband, as he thought women should only focus on their domestic and child rearing duties. This angered her very much.