Titina Silá
Titina Silá | |
|---|---|
Silá in 1968 | |
| Member of the Superior Council for the Fight | |
| In office 1970–1973 | |
| President | Amílcar Cabral |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ernestina Silá 1 April 1943 Cadique Betna, Tombali, Portuguese Guinea |
| Died | 30 January 1973 (aged 29) Farim River, Oio, Portuguese Guinea |
| Resting place | Fortaleza de São José da Amura 11°51′35.74″N 15°34′41.55″W / 11.8599278°N 15.5782083°W |
| Political party | African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde |
| Spouse |
Manuel N'Digna (m. 1970–1973) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Guinea-Bissau |
| Branch/service | Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People |
| Years of service | 1963–1973 |
| Rank | Political commissar |
| Unit | Northern Front |
| Battles/wars | Guinea-Bissau War of Independence |
Ernestina "Titina" Silá (1 April 1943 – 30 January 1973) was a Bissau-Guinean revolutionary. Recruited into the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC), while she was a young woman, she joined in the Guinea-Bissau War of Independence against the Portuguese Empire.
As one of the first women in the PAIGC, she quickly became a popular leading figure in the revolutionary movement and was often praised by its leader, Amílcar Cabral. After being trained in nursing in the Soviet Union, she took a commanding role in the Northern Front of the war, rising to the rank of political commissar and joining the Superior Council of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People (FARP).
While on her way to attend Cabral's funeral, in January 1973, she was ambushed and killed by the Portuguese. As a revolutionary martyr, her memory has been commemorated by memorial dedications and her example used to educate young men and women on gender equality. The day of her death, 30 January, is celebrated as National Women's Day in Guinea-Bissau.