Windhoek: For former Deputy Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Hilma Nicanor, Namibia's liberation struggle cannot be told as a story of men only. Women played crucial roles, whether on the frontlines, in military camps, classrooms, hospitals, or homes. They carried weapons, served in military structures, treated wounded soldiers, educated fellow fighters, and provided vital support to those operating inside Namibia.According to Namibia Press Agency, ahead of Heroes' Day commemorations, Nicanor, who now serves as Special Advisor to the Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, emphasized that the role of women remains insufficiently recognized. In an exclusive interview, she shared her personal journey, which forms a significant part of Namibian history. As a student at Martin Luther High School, she joined the liberation struggle in 1978, crossing into Angola for military training at the Tobias Hainyeko Training Centre, later becoming a political commissar.Nicanor highlights the equality experienc ed during military training, where gender was irrelevant. Women took on diverse roles, from combatants to medical and communications experts. The struggle also spurred an educational drive, with some fighters becoming teachers, a role Nicanor herself embraced.Women within Namibia, often unacknowledged, provided critical support by sheltering and feeding fighters, sharing information, and caring for the wounded, often at great personal risk. Nicanor calls for recognition of these women's contributions, emphasizing their roles as combatants, political organizers, teachers, and medical workers.Maria Hedimbi-Kamati, another female fighter, shares her experience of the war, which began at a young age in the border village of Onhunda. Fleeing harassment by South African soldiers, she went into exile at 15. After military training as a nurse in Angola, she worked alongside male soldiers at the Alfa Battalion, treating the injured. Despite the challenges and loneliness of being the sole woman in the battalion, sh e persevered, later receiving further training at the Peter Nanyemba Military Hospital.Hedimbi-Kamati recalls the difficulty of treating a severely wounded PLAN fighter, a moment that marked her deeply. Her story, like Nicanor's, underscores the vital yet often overlooked contributions of women to Namibia's liberation struggle. As Heroes' Day approaches, both women urge for broader recognition of these untold stories and the sacrifices made by women in the fight for independence.