ABSTRACT
The establishment of Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO) on June 25, 1962, marked the beginning of a new phase in the struggle against Portuguese colonial rule—a phase characterized both by creative experimentation and demoralizing setbacks. Janet Mondlane rejected their advances and left Mozambique inexorably committed to the struggle for independence. From the beginning teenaged girls had been moved by the words of FRELIMO recruiters, and many had fled to join the struggle for independence. In response to continued pressure from female militants and from members of the Central Committee, FRELIMO organized a women’s detachment. Gradually, although not without setbacks, FRELIMO consolidated its power and drove the colonial forces out of the surrounding regions, progressively expanding the liberated zones. Having dismantled the colonial state apparatus and exploitative colonial institutions, the liberation movement faced the more difficult task of introducing new economic, social, and political structures.
