Dahomey:
Women participated in state-building enterprises. They take advantage of situations and fill the void left by men. Some even run countries! Queen mother ran Dahomey and took over full control. The downside still far outweighs the upside.
Kongo:
women held lower-level administrative positions, the head wife of a nobleman exercised authority over hundreds of junior wives and slaves, and women served on the council that advised the monarch.
Matamba:
The region of Matamba was known for its female rulers, most notably the powerful Queen Nzinga (1626–1663), who guided the state amid the complexities and intrigues of various European and African rivalries and gained a reputation for her resistance to Portuguese imperialism.