Women at the Forefront of Action, Resistance, and Resilience

Käthe Kollwitz, the German artist, has done a series on the 16^th century farmers’ revolt in Germany. He created a work called Charge highlighting ‘Black Anna’, a peasant woman who spurred the men on to fight and do not give up. She led a band of peasants in an attack against the local establishment in a town called Heilbronn. Woman unleashed, in a rage, has always aroused irritation, especially if the woman comes from the lower classes. Kollwitz, who was a feminist and a socialist, told a biographer she identified with Black Anna. Kollwitz herself was an activist with her explicit artworks.

Charge by Käthe Kollwitz

Mai Bhago was the first woman in Sikh history to take up arms to fight oppressors. Mai Bhago also known as Mata Bhag Kaur, was a Sikh woman who led Sikh soldiers, who were almost giving up, against the Mughals in 1705. She turned to them and said, you will not abandon the fight, you will return, and I will lead you.

Mai Bhago

There are enormous women in history who did the same: who initiated the action, who initiated resistance, who stood at the frontline of resistance.

Here we have Mother Mary gently prompting Jesus (John 2: 1-11) to act at the wedding at Cana.

From Germany, to Panjab in India to Cana in Palestine women had and has been at the forefront of action, resistance and resilience.

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