‘Kandaka’ is all over the TL today. Here’s what it means.

Kandaka: Nubian queens & royal warriors who ruled the Kingdom of Kush, which is now Sudan, Ethiopia and parts of Egypt. It’s now a term commonly used in Sudan to describe an empowered Sudanese woman. #KandakasAreWomen

The term was popularized during the Sudan Revolution last year, when countless women took to the streets and made their voices heard, after being silenced for so many years. This famous image of Alaa Salah depicts what it means to be a ‘Kandaka’.

The word became such a movement that artists started to incorporate it in their work. The song ‘Kandaka’ became an anthem for modern-day Sudanese women.

‘Kandaka’ is an important word for Sudanese women by Sudanese women. The term means a lot to us. So that’s why there’s anger surrounding the fact that it’s been trademarked...by men. Hence the #KandakasAreWomen hashtag.