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Empress Taytu Betul: Ethiopian women had assumed leadership roles alongside men way before women in western nations began straggling for the women’s liberation movement. One such woman in the Ethiopian history was Empress Taytu Betul. “I am a woman. I do not like wars. However, I would rather die than accept your deal…..”
These were the words of Empress Taytu while rejecting the Wuchale Treaty which would have given Italy the upper hand and threatened the sovereignty of the nation. Born in Gondor into a prominent family, empress Taytu had exceptional upbringing. She was a visionary woman who was ahead of her time. In 1889, she was crowned Empress Taytu, following the coronation of her husband, Menelik II as Emperor of Ethiopia. Empress Taytu was more educated than most of contemporary men and women alike. She could read and write the Amharic language and at an early age mastered the Ge’ez as well. She was influenced by and was influential in the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian Church. She composed religious poetry in Ge’ez and could play Begena (string instrument). As the saying goes, behind every successful leader, there is a strong and supportive woman and partner. Empress Taytu was one such a woman. She was a supporter of her husband’s mission and vision and always at his side to support and render her honest opinion to the Emperor. It was Taytu who influenced her husband to move the capital city from Entoto to the present capital city, Addis Ababa. Empress Taytu has played very important roles in the Battle of Adwa, In the 1895-1896 war with Italy, the empress galvanized the nation, brought her own fighters, 3000 plus strong and joined other leaders from the various parts of the empire. Needles to say, Ethiopia defeated Italy and defended herself and became the only African nation to ever defeat a strong European power. This defeat not only caused the down fall of the then Italian government, but also became the early symbol of freedom for the colonized and oppressed people everywhere as well as hope and pride to people of color around the world. SEED posthumously salute Empress Taytu for her determination and struggle to defend Ethiopia, for being a role model to woman everywhere, for living an exemplary life, for promoting and advancing the interests of Ethiopia of the time and for all her positive attributes.
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