Arawelo
Arawelo (Somali: Caraweelo), also known as Araweelo, Araweilo, and Arraweelo, was a Somali Queen in 15 AD.[1]
History
Arawelo was a queen who ruled over what is today known as Somalia. She was the first born of three daughters and natural heir to the dynasty. Like many female rulers, Arawelo fought for female empowerment; she believed society should be based on a matriarchy. She is one of the earliest female rulers in the world who was also a figure of female empowerment,[2] and was known to castrate male prisoners. Arawelo was well-known throughout Africa, and the Queen of Sheba was said to send gifts to her in the form of gold coins as a congratulatory gesture (although the Queen of Sheba is usually placed in the 10th century BC).
The queen was well known for defying gender roles. Before she was queen, during the Buraan droughts, she and a team of women fetched water and hunted to prevent her town from migrating and to relieve starvation. During her reign, Arawelo's husband objected to her self-ascribed role as the breadwinner to all of society, as he thought women should be restrict themselves to merely domestic duties about the house and leave everything else to men. In response, Arawelo demanded that all women across the land abandon their womanly role in society, and started hanging men by their testicles.[3] The strike was successful, forcing men to assume more child-rearing and creating a role reversal in society.
Arawelo thought this role reversal was necessary since she saw women as natural peacekeepers. Growing up she noticed that men were more often instigators, participators and conductors of war. She did not only fight for the liberation of women in feudal society but for the dominance of women as she saw them as better, more efficient leaders.[4] Her throne was passed down to an unknown next of kin, though many versions suggest it was her niece, Araxsan.