(All-Women) Wonder Women: The Dahomey Amazons, 1885

APPROXIMATE COMMITTEE SIZE: 25 delegates

The Kingdom of Dahomey was a West African kingdom located within present-day Benin. One of the key security forces within the Dahomey kingdom was the Dahomey Amazons, or Minos, as they are known locally. These warriors represented one of the few all-female armies in recorded world history. Known for their extreme effectiveness in combat, Europeans who encountered these Dahomey warriors named them Amazons. In 1885, signs of an oncoming attack are already visible. Most glaringly, the French annexation of two key Dahomey cities, Porto-Novo and Cotonou, has created deep tension between the two states and demonstrates France’s intention to gain power in the region.  The Dahomey government sees this as a direct violation of their sovereignty and economic interests. In this committee, the warriors, alongside their compatriots in Dahomey, will form a council to plan for the oncoming French colonial attack. In response, the Dahomey Military, including the Amazons, launched several raids against French positions and territories under French influence. In this committee, the warriors, alongside their compatriots in Dahomey, will form a council to plan for the oncoming French colonial attack. Delegates must develop a plan to respond to French incursions and protect the nation’s people from foreign occupation before it's too late. 

Note: NAIMUN’s “all-women” crisis committee is designed to amplify and empower the voices of women in a unique crisis setting. Delegates in this committee will exclusively represent women as they debate and simulate a topic specifically chosen to center the experiences of women. In the spirit of this committee, NAIMUN asks that all those participating in the all-women committee are female or gender non-conforming delegates.

ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Resisting Colonial Occupation by Foreign Forces

Gaining International Support for the Dahomean Cause

The Role of Women in Larger Society

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Learn how women contributed to the development of nations and national identities in a variety of contexts, as well as understand the important role women played in pre-colonial societies.

• Consider the history of women in military campaigns and the unique challenges posed by fighting a conflict against a militarily superior power.

• Understand the intersection between economic development, military power and social rights. 

About the Chair

Julie Johnson is a member of the Class of 2025 in the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, majoring in International Politics. Hailing from NYC, Julie has been involved in MUN since the 7th grade where she first competed at her local Model UN conference. As a first-year at Georgetown, she served as Director of Outreach for NAIMUN’s newest sister conference for middle school students, DistrictMUN, where she continued her passion for making Model UN accessible locally and for young students, and then served as Director of Registration for NAIMUN LX. This past year she had the honor of serving as DistrictMUN’s Secretary-General, as well as a chair for the NAIMUN’s UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development committee. Outside of MUN, Julie is a company member of Georgetown’s contemporary-modern dance group (Black Movements Dance Theatre) and enjoys spending time outside on Georgetown’s campus, color-coordinated spreadsheets, and Trader Joe’s runs. Julie is thrilled to welcome delegates back to the Washington Hilton for NAIMUN LXII!

About the Crisis manager

Mia Abatecola is a member of the Walsh School of Foreign Service’s class of 2026, majoring in International Politics and minoring in Justice and Peace Studies. She is from Fort Myers, Florida and had never seen snow before attending Georgetown. This will be Mia’s third NAIMUN, having served as the Crisis Manager for the Heroines of the Mexican Revolution committee at NAIMUN LXI and a crisis analyst for the Kosovo Independence committee at NAIMUN LX. At Georgetown, Mia is involved with the Prison Outreach Initiative and the Georgetown Running Club. In her free time, she likes to read and play piano. She will be returning from her semester abroad in Prague in time for NAIMUN LXII and is honored to be serving as the Crisis Manager for this committee!