3 When our Mozambican“Cinderella” speaks out: Participation of women in the struggle for political and economic independence Isabel Maria Casimiro Introduction From the commitment to liberate land and men from colonialism, fascism and apartheid, to a process of building new inclusive societies, with comprehensive public policies after independence, the political and economic strategies of the governing parties in Southern Africa, have their policies wedded to the current dominant extractive development model set in a context of capitalist, colonialist and hetero-patriarchal, neoliberal economy. Experiences on the African continent and globally demonstrate that this extractive model has not delivered an inclusive and equitable development for women and men. On the contrary, it has rather strengthened social and gender inequalities, deepened the gap between an ever-smaller group of wealthy elite and a majority lacking the most elementary resources and human rights. Women and girls are typically the ones who su er most from this inherently unfair and inadequate development model. e participation of women in the nationalist and the armed struggle led by FRELIMO against Portuguese colonialism was a women’s initiative, led by women who, progressively established the agenda for their inclusion, at various moments in our history. However, Isabel Maria Casimiro recognition of their agency remained largely hidden most of the time or dependent on the willingness of the ruling elite to recognize their contribution to liberation(Corrêa and Homem, 1977; Katto, 2010, 2014; Kruks and Wisner, 1984; Paredes, 2015; Saíde, 2014; Santana, 2009; Urdang, 1979, 1983, 1984, 1988; Zimba, 2012). 65