Muammar Gaddafi’s Female Bodyguards — “The Amazons

Muammar Gaddafi’s Female Bodyguards — “The Amazons

Muammar Gaddafi was often surrounded by an elite all-female protection unit officially known as the “Revolutionary Nuns”,popularly called the “Amazonian Guard”.Formed in the late 1970s, the unit remained active until his fall in 2011.

Handpicked and intensively trained in weapons, martial arts, and close combat, the group numbered about “30–40 women”, with around “15” accompanying Gaddafi during travel. Their distinctive look—military uniforms, high heels, bold makeup—made them globally famous and controversial.

Gaddafi presented them as a symbol of “women’s empowerment” and revolutionary Libya.

In 1998, one bodyguard was killed protecting him during an ambush.

However, after 2011, former members revealed a reality, behind the image.
Following Gaddafi’s overthrow, many disappeared from public life, fled abroad, or faced detention—their true fate still largely unknown.

“A story of power, image, loyalty—and silence.”