Queen Hangbe V

Queen Hangbe V of the Republic of Benin. Born circa 1940. Queen Hangbé V was born into the royal family of the ancient Dahomey lineage. She is a direct descendant of the first credited king, King Houegbadja, who reigned from 1645 until 1685. He was succeeded by his son, Akaba, who had a twin sister, Tassi Hangbé. Queen Tassi Hangbé is remembered as being a driving force behind the formation of the female army called Agojie, or Minon a.k.a. the Dahomey Amazons. The Agojie comprised about 30 to 40% of the total Dahomey army. They were given special privileges denied to the ordinary women of the time. In modern-day Dahomey, now called the Republic of Benin, in a town called Abomey, there is a humble temple dedicated to Queen Hangbé. There the current Queen Hangbé V resides, surrounded by her Agojie. She is a woman well into her eighties and has a dignified and regal presence. As part of a small South African delegation led by the South African Ambassador to Benin, Ambassador Robina Marks, I was fortunate to have an audience with Queen Hangbé V in March 2004. Our interpreter assisted us in our communication, as the Queen only speaks Fon, the most widely spoken local language. Given the opportunity to ask but one question, I asked what role the modern-day Agojie serve in Benin, considering that there are no longer wars being waged. The Queen replied that her role, and that of her Agodjie, is to fight inequality, to fight for the rights of women in Benin!