WIDF 1950: From All Parts, Women Write to the WIDF
WIDF bulletin, 1950: 'From All Parts, Women Write to the WIDF' with reports from South Africa, Israel and Indonesia. The Indonesia section recounts women in the Republic's struggle against the Dutch, mass May Day rallies (390,000 in 1950), repression after the Madiun era, harsh conditions for plantation women, and supp
Femmes du monde entier no. 50, January 1951
Femmes du monde entier no. 50, January 1951, the French-language WIDF bulletin issued from Berlin. Editorial and reports urge women to back the Second World Peace Congress's address to the UN: Korea, Formosa and Vietnam, banning mass-destruction weapons, colonial oppression (Madagascar, Vietnam, South Africa), war prop
WIDF 1952: Country reports on International Children's Day
WIDF 1952 bulletin page of country reports on International Children's Day (1 June): Romania, China, Mexico, Venezuela, Indonesia, USA, Belgium, Egypt, Switzerland. The Indonesia item says a committee of women's, youth and teachers' groups was formed, children demonstrated for peace, and an Indonesian film on war's eff
WIDF Executive message 1952: Congress of the Peoples for Peace, Vienna
WIDF Executive Committee message (1952) calling women worldwide to prepare for the Congress of the Peoples for Peace, Vienna, 5 December 1952, and to demand an end to the Korean war, arms reduction, banning of atomic and bacteriological weapons, and a Pact of Peace. Signatories include Eugénie Cotton and others; Darmin
Results of the Peking Conference go beyond Asia and the Pacific (WIDF, 1952)
WIDF 1952 report on the Peace Conference of Asian and Pacific Countries (Peking, 2 Oct 1952; 367 delegates, 37 countries): speeches by Soong Ching Ling, Monica Felton, Malayan, Korean and American delegates on Korea, germ warfare, women's and children's rights and national independence. Umi Sardjono of Indonesia is lis
WIDF Bulletin no. 5/1952 'The Women of Indonesia': a WIDF-sympathetic account of postwar Indonesia in 1952, covering militarised budgets, unemployment, hunger, maternal and infant mortality, the Round Table legacy and US agreements. It says women formed committees for 8 March and Children's Day and that local GERWIS br
Women Write to Us From Everywhere: Indonesia (Darmini, 1954)
Short 1954 item in WIDF's 'Women Write to Us From Everywhere' by Darmini, Assistant General Secretary of Gerwani. She reports the Gerwani congress as a success, with WIDF representative Monica Felton present and foreign delegates (Dutch, Australian, Soviet) touring the country, a first in Indonesian women's movement hi
Dawn Over the Equator: Monica Felton on the Second Gerwani Congress, 1954
Monica Felton (WIDF Vice-President) writes in 1954 on the Second Congress of Gerwani, which she attended: 349 delegates, 80,000 members, a meeting with President Sukarno, resolutions on West Irian, the 1955 elections, a nationwide marriage law, democratic rights and support for the government against armed gangs. She s
Short 1954 WIDF note 'Dutch-Indonesian Solidarity': Dutch women's movement raised funds for a delegate to attend the Gerwis national congress (March 25) and sold soap 'For peace and friendship between Indonesian and Dutch women'. Mrs. Umi of Gerwis's executive says the campaign strengthened solidarity and showed Dutch
Indonesia: Miss Darmini of Gerwis (WIDF, 1954)
WIDF 1954 profile of Miss Darmini of GERWIS, reporting to a WIDF meeting. Membership rose from 6,000 at the 1951 first congress to 37,000 by 1953 and about 600,000 prior to the March 1954 second congress (as printed); the Union of Railway Workers' Wives affiliated. She describes campaigns on women's rights, maternity l
Indonesian and Dutch delegates meet at WIDF Executive, Geneva (1954)
Caption (1954) from WIDF's magazine: Indonesian and Dutch delegates met at the Geneva WIDF Executive Committee. Mrs. Rie Lips of the Dutch women's movement was invited to the congress of GERWIS, described as the national organisation in Indonesia with 80,000 members.
WIDF 1954 article compiling women's campaigns against atomic and hydrogen bombs after Bikini, with excerpts from Eugénie Cotton and the WIDF Executive appeal (Geneva). Countries covered include Britain, US, Japan, Germany, India; the Indonesia entry apparently refers to a national women's congress of 349 delegates dema
Keynotes of the Council Meeting: Unity and Confidence (Bertrand, 1955)
Simone Bertrand, WIDF Assistant General Secretary, reports in 1955 on the Fifth WIDF Council meeting in Geneva (45 countries). She cites GERWANI as a remarkable example: mostly peasant and plantation women, membership up from 80,000 to 281,000 in a year, and with nine organisations it formed a committee opposing a US b
Working for Peace in Asia (Suharti, 1955)
1955 article by Suharti (Suharti Suwarto), Vice-President of Gerwani, based on her speech at the WIDF Council in Geneva. Links the Bandung Conference to peace; says Gerwani had 281,000 members; calls for reunion of Western Irian; reports women's election preparations, winning the right to be polling officers, support f
Women of the Whole World no. 89, April 1955: cover note on Balinese women
Cover note of Women of the Whole World no. 89 (April 1955, 10th year), stamped by the Amsterdam Institute of Social History. The cover photo shows Balinese women, described as largely bound by feudal tradition yet joining the fight to strengthen the country's independence. No Gerwani mention.
For Friendship: Gyanchand, Suryadarma and Che Zahara on the World Congress of Mothers (1955)
1955 WIDF magazine feature 'For Friendship' with statements by Anusuya Gyanchand (India), Utami Suryadarma (Indonesia) and Che Zahara (Malaya) for the World Congress of Mothers. Suryadarma, a vice-president of the Preparatory Committee and of the Foundation for the Well-being of Indonesian Children, links Bandung to pe
WIDF magazine 1955 report on the Asian-African (Bandung) Conference, 18-24 April, listing participants and the ten principles of the communique, with supportive statements from women (Anusuya Gyanchand, Erika Wendland, Gusta Fucikova) for the World Congress of Mothers. Presents Bandung as boosting peace and disarmament
WIDF magazine 'Women Write to Us' (1955), country letters after the World Congress of Mothers (Lausanne): Bulgaria, Argentina, France, India floods, and Indonesia. The Indonesia item reports delegate Mme Suryadarma's warm airport welcome, press and radio coverage of her Congress speech, and the Indonesian Women's Movem
1956 extract from a speech by Sunardi, Indonesian delegate to the World Conference of Women Workers, plus a column of international women's news. She describes low wages, foreign monopolies, plantation women workers, absence of democratic marriage law and labour protection, the unilateral abrogation of the Round Table
Let Us Respect All Opinions: speeches by Teng Ying-chao, Hajrah Begum and Suharti (1956)
1956 page of speeches to the WIDF Council: Teng Ying-chao (China), Hajrah Begum (India) and Suharti, Gerwani Vice-President and MP. Suharti reports Gerwani membership grew from 281,000 to 565,147, its cooperation at the Palembang Women's Congress (March 1955), International Children's Day events, and delegations demand
World Conference of Women Workers, Budapest 1956 (WIDF issue)
Issue of Women of the Whole World (no. 105, 1956) on the World Conference of Women Workers in Budapest, 14-17 June 1956 (497 delegates, 44 countries): reports on wage discrimination, working mothers, African women, Latin America, plus a contents list pointing to the Indonesian delegate's speech. This page itself says l
WIDF Council (Peking, 24-30 April 1956) 'Appeal to the Women of Asia and Africa', with a side item on a European girls' conference in Paris. The appeal salutes anticolonial struggles, welcomes the Bandung principles, and opposes the Baghdad and SEATO pacts and nuclear tests. Indonesia and Gerwani are not named.
1956 WIDF bulletin item on Indonesia: the Gerwani Central Council's report on cooperation with other women's organisations, overcoming mistrust, membership rising from 281,000 to 565,147, local marriage-rights actions, rural work with peasant groups, the All-Indonesia Women's Congress adopting Gerwani's proposed Charte
Indonesia: social protection for mothers and children (Suwarti Bintang Suradi, 1957)
Excerpt from the WIDF Information Bulletin No. 14 (1957): Mme Suwarti (Suwarti Bintang Suradi), member of the Gerwani executive, reports on social insurance and protection for mothers and children in Indonesia. She notes obstacles for women officials, company rules such as Shell-BPM ending employment on marriage, lack
WIDF magazine 1957 report on the WIDF Council meeting in Helsinki, 22-27 June 1957: Finnish hospitality, Palace of Culture built by volunteer labour, reports by Eugénie Cotton, Branca Fialho, Molly Keith and Elisa Uriz, a new draft constitution and call to the Fourth Congress, and resolution on nuclear tests and women'
We Saw and Heard at the Council Meeting, Helsinki 1957: Umi Sardjono for Gerwani
WIDF magazine 1957 'We Saw and Heard at the Council Meeting' with delegate speeches at the Helsinki Council. Umi Sardjono, President of Gerwani (640,000 members), reports a nationwide marriage-law campaign, the 1955 elections (five Gerwani members in parliament, six in the Constituent Assembly, 52 provincial councillor
Report by Ratu Aminah Hidajat, Vice-President of the Constituent Assembly, to the WIDF Fourth Congress/Conference on the Defence of Life (Vienna, June 1958). Describes Indonesia's committees against A- and H-bomb tests (chaired by Sukarno; Movement of Mothers, Peace Committee), an Anti-Bomb Week and a public appeal; sa
The Struggle is Just and a Just Struggle will Surely be Victorious (Suwarti, 1957/58)
Article by Suwarti Bintang Suradi (Gerwani), dated Berlin 20 Dec 1957, in WIDF's magazine on Indonesia's West Irian campaign: mass rally of a million in Jakarta, ten-minute silence, general strike in Dutch firms, takeover of Dutch enterprises, KLM ban, UN defeat, international support. Names Gerwani among organisations
WIDF magazine 1958, International Women's Day feature 'Good Recipes around the World': tips on preparing vegetables and recipes from several countries, including two Indonesian dishes (beef fried with cloves and atjar cucumber salad), plus Bulgarian, Italian, Chinese. No Gerwani or political content.
One-line 1958 WIDF caption: on 8 March 1958 a broadly representative deputation from the committee for International Women's Day presented its resolution to President Sukarno. Gerwani is not named, though it habitually helped organise such March 8 committees.