Due to her involvement in Indonesia's struggle for independence, she was recognized posthumously as an Indonesian national heroine.

The scholar Peter Post states that Said was asked to resign by Yunisyah because she was teaching political subjects to the students, which Yunisiyah forbade.

[3][4] In 1926, Rasuna Said became active in the communist-affiliated Sarekat Rakyat (Peoples Union) organization, which was dissolved following a failed communist uprising in West Sumatra in 1927.

She also worked as a journalist, writing articles criticizing Dutch colonialism in the Raya college journal.

She was arrested by the Japanese because of her membership of a pro-Indonesian independence organization, but was released after a short time as the authorities feared causing public discontent.

In 1943 she joined the strongly nationalist Giyūgun military volunteer force, which had been established by the Japanese occupation government in West Sumatra.

[9][10] After the 17 August 1945 proclamation of Indonesian independence, Rasuna worked with pro-republic organizations, and in 1947 became a senior member and head of the women's section of the National Defense Front (Fron Pertahanan Nasional).

Ahead of the body's sixth session in 1949, she was appointed to the KNIP Working Committee representing Sumatra.

In 1959 she was appointed a member of the Indonesian Supreme Advisory Council (Dewan Pertimbangan Agung), a position she held until her death in Jakarta in 1965.

By 1933, Permi, which had been founded by younger activists who supported women's right to religious education, had thousands of female members.

Unlike other Islamic organizations, women were not sidelined in a subordinate section, but had key roles in the party leadership.

On 13 November 1974 was declared a National Hero of Indonesia for her services to the struggle for independence by president Suharto, only the ninth woman to be accorded this honour.