Cut Nyak Dhien

Cut Nyak Dhien (or Tjoet Nja’ Dhien) was a leader of the Acehnese guerrilla armies in the Aceh War against the Dutch during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Raised in an aristocratic household, Dhien swore vengeance upon the Dutch after her father and first husband were killed in the escalating war with Dutch colonial forces. She began leading her own troops against the Dutch, eventually merging her army with that of the celebrated hero Teuku Umar. They were later married in 1880, an arrangement she agreed to on the condition that he would not prevent her from continuing to fight.

This promise was kept and Dhien went on to act as the chief strategist of the combined army and later assumed leadership following the death of Umar in 1899. Despite difficult losses inflicted by the Dutch Maréchaussée and her own dwindling health, she continued to lead her forces until 1905 when the position of her base was betrayed to the Dutch. She was captured and exiled to Sumatra, where she continued to the preach her message of resistance until her death in 1908.

Today she is officially recognised as a national hero of Indonesia.

Shadia Abu Ghazali

“Shadia Abu Ghazali was the first Palestinian female martyr killed while defending her city of Nablus after its capture by Israeli forces during the 1967 Six-Day War.”

Source: http://madlovaforlife.tumblr.com/post/33961317777/shadia-abu-ghazali-the-first-palestinian-female

Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe Gozen (or ‘Lady Tomoe’) was a samurai warrior in 12th century Japan who was famed for her ability with both the sword and the bow. She was also a master horsewoman, said to be able to ride an unbroken horse with skill.

Tomoe served in the Genpei War (1180-1185) as the First Captain of her daimyo (and possibly her husband), Minamoto no Yoshinaka. The Tale of the Heike describes her as a beautiful woman with charming features, who went to battle in heavy armour and wielding an oversized sword.

Following their defeat of the Heike, she led Yoshinaka’s forces in the taking of Tokyo in his attempt to claim leadership of the Minamoto clan. This action led to civil war within the clan against Yoshinaka’s cousins, culminating in the Battle of Awazu in 1184. During this battle Tomoe is recorded as beheading members of the enemy army, however Yoshinaka was killed and the army defeated.

Her ultimate fate is unknown. Some accounts say she fought to the death on the battlefield, others that she escaped on horseback carrying an enemy head and disappeared.

Roza Shanina

Roza Shanina was a Soviet sniper during World War II credited with 59 confirmed kills. Renowned for her marksmanship skills, Shanina was known for her ability to score precise hits on moving targets and for making doublets (two target hits by two rounds fired in quick succession).

Described by Allied newspapers as ‘the unseen terror of East Prussia’, Shanina became the first female sniper to be awarded the Order of Glory medal. She was also decorated with the Medal for Courage.

One war correspondent described her as a person of unusual will with a genuine, bright nature. She was said to be a straightforward and talkative woman, who valued courage and humility in others.

On 16 January 1945 she wrote in her combat diary: “What I’ve actually done? No more than I have to as a Soviet man, having stood up to defend the motherland.”

Shanina was killed in action during the East Prussian Offensive of 1945 while shielding the severely wounded commander of an artillery unit.

[Read more about Roza Shanina]