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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Dr. Hurustiati Subandrio's Impressions of Copenhagen
Api Kartini interview-report with Dr. Hurustiati Subandrio, head of the Indonesian women's delegation to the Copenhagen International Women's Conference (April 1960, 73 countries). She chaired the first plenary on 21 April (Kartini Day), sat on the Presidium and chaired the Education and Culture Commission; other deleg
Getting to Know the WIDF Up Close
Api Kartini preview of the WIDF Bureau meeting due in Indonesia (early 1960), profiling its leaders: President Eugenie Cotton, Secretary-General Carmen Zanti, Marie Ange, Beatrice Johnson and Asian-African vice-presidents. Notes WIDF's support for Indonesian independence and condemnation of Dutch aggression, and that G
Fifty Years of International Women's Day Celebrated Lavishly in Jakarta (March 1960)
Api Kartini report on the lavish Jakarta commemoration of 50 years of International Women's Day (6-8 March 1960): exhibition at Gedung Pertemuan Umum, a two-day seminar, and an 8 March reception attended by 1,500. Umi Sardjono spoke on the history of the women's movement; Setiati Surasto presented on food and clothing;
The World's Women's Contribution to Their Era (Sulami)
Article by Sulami (1959) reporting on the WIDF Bureau meeting in Prague, chaired by Eugenie Cotton, and the Council with 51 countries. It stresses women's duty to protect children, supports disarmament and Soviet-US talks, backs the 50th anniversary of International Women's Day, and links peace to Indonesian national i
Birth and Growth of the Indonesian Women's Movement, Part II (Sulami, 1959)
Part II of Sulami's 1959 history: Indonesian women under Japanese occupation (Fujinkai, women coerced as 'geishas'), the 1945 proclamation, founding of Perwari (Klaten, Dec 1945), the formation of KOWANI (Solo, Feb 1946), its second congress at Madiun deciding to affiliate to WIDF, and women's role in partisan resistan
Kowani Delegation in North Korea
Fragmentary Api Kartini item (1960s) closing a statement by the Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) delegation after visiting North Korea, thanking hosts, praising Korean revolutionary culture and socialist construction, and backing Korean reunification and the 'Crush Malaysia' campaign. Signatories listed include Suh
Italian Women
Article by Sulami (1960) reporting on the 8th national congress of the Union of Italian Women (UDI) in Rome in May, attended by 783 delegates and foreign guests including Indonesia. Describes Maria Maddalena Rossi and Marisa Rodano, the women's demands (equal pay, pensions for housewives, social security, opposition to
Peking Review no. 38, 20 September 1960 ('Friends from the Four Seas')
Peking Review vol. III no. 38 (20 Sept 1960), a full issue of the Chinese weekly: Chou Yang on socialist literature and art, Congo and India statements, agriculture and cinema. The only Gerwani-relevant item is a brief list of foreign delegations ('Friends from the Four Seas', p. 27) that includes a Delegation of the I
Echoes: Afro-Asian Solidarity Council Session, Bandung 1961
Api Kartini (1961) 'Echoes' column on the Afro-Asian Solidarity Council session in Bandung, 10-14 April 1961, based on interviews with women delegates. Features Marthe Moumie of Cameroon (widow of the poisoned Felix Moumie), delegates from Ceylon, Vietnam (Nguyen Thi Luu) and Iran, and a tea hosted by DPP Gerwani for t
For Democracy, Women's Rights, Food and Clothing (Fourth National Congress of Gerwani, 1961)
Api Kartini report on the 4th National Congress of Gerwani, Jakarta, December 1961 (about 400 delegates and observers), with Sukarno attending. Lists foreign guests: Gloria Garton for WIDF, Soviet, Chinese and East German delegates. Sukarno called Gerwani one of the forces for the Irian Barat struggle and urged total u
Afro-Asian Women Meet in the City of a Thousand Minarets (Cairo, 1961)
Api Kartini (1961) report on the Afro-Asian Women's Conference in Cairo, 14-23 January 1961. Indonesian delegation: Iwanah Priyono, Francisca Fanggidaej, Sugiarto, Lies Haryoto and Arifin Sudaryo. Priyono's speech linked women's nature to opposing nuclear war and colonialism; the conference issued resolutions on Algeri
Women's Footsteps in 1961 (Hurustiati Subandrio)
Article by Hurustiati Subandrio (1961) reviewing women's activity at the start of 1961. She lists the Gerwani-organised National Seminar of Peasant Women (17-20 January, Gedung Wanita, Jakarta), the Asian-African Women's Conference in Cairo, and preparations for the Indonesian Women's Congress (6-8 February). She links
Friends Supporting the Liberation of Irian Barat (Guests at Gerwani's Fourth Congress)
Api Kartini (early 1962) report on foreign guests at Gerwani's 4th National Congress (Jakarta, December 1961): Gloria Garton (WIDF and Australian women), Dzhura Ilkhamova and Nina Voronina (USSR), Kuo Chien and Chang Chieh-hsun (China), and Nitze of East Germany. They toured Yogyakarta, Bogor and Bandung, praised Gerwa
With Manipol Strengthen the United Women's Front (Gerwani DPP Plenary, January 1963)
Api Kartini (1963) report by Ratna on the Gerwani DPP Plenary held in Jakarta, 6-10 January 1963, a year after the 4th Congress. Umi Sardjono's general report praised the Irian Barat victory and the end of the state of emergency (1 May 1963), and the plenary resolved to strengthen the Nasakom-based national front, supp
Indonesia: preparations for International Women's Day and the World Congress of Women (WIDF, 1963)
1963 WIDF bulletin: Gerwani plans a broad campaign to prepare for the World Congress of Women (Moscow 1963) through the International Women's Day committee, chaired by Mrs Arudji Kartawinata and including Umi Sardjono (Gerwani president), Ratu Aminah Hidajat, Utami Suryadarma and others (18 organisations); also bazaar
Peking Review no. 27, 5 July 1963: World Congress of Women, Moscow; statement of Umi Sardjono
Peking Review no. 27 (5 July 1963), Chinese state weekly, reporting the WIDF World Congress of Women in Moscow (June 1963). It covers the Chinese delegation's votes against the WIDF programme and Appeal, its statements, and the clash with the Indian delegate and chair over the Sino-Indian border. Umi Sardjono, head of
Peking Review no. 29, 19 July 1963: Parjani Pradono (Gerwani) criticises WIDF at Peking women's meeting
Peking Review Vol. VI No. 29, 19 July 1963, a Chinese weekly. The item of interest is 'Peking Acclaims Women Delegates From Asia, Africa and Latin America' (p. 17): at a Peking meeting after the Moscow World Congress of Women, Mme Parjani Pradono, Central Committee member of the Indonesian women's movement (Gerwani) an
Soviet Woman, 31 Jul 1963: WIDF programme and elected leaders (Moscow Congress)
Soviet Woman, 31 Jul 1963, p. 44: WIDF programme adopted at its 1963 Moscow World Congress of Women, with an issue preview and the list of elected leaders. Eugenie Cotton re-elected president. Umi Sardjono (Indonesia) is named among Bureau members, with Freda Brown (Australia), Vilma Espin and others.
A Little about the Indonesian Women's Movement
Api Kartini (late 1964) history of the Indonesian women's movement for Youth Pledge Day, tracing Kartini, Isteri Sedar, Perwari, wartime Fujinkai and Gerwis's founding on 4 June 1950 from the Gerakan Wanita Sedar, its name change to Gerwani after merging with railway workers' wives and Perwin Menado, joining Kowani and
Women in the Land of the Great Wall
Travel article by Kartinah (Kartinah Kurdi) (1964) on women in China, from an Indonesian delegation visit with Ibu Sumarno. She argues housewives are vital to the revolution and describes a Shanghai-area people's commune with women leaders, production figures, crèches, clinics and handicraft cooperatives. She uses this
Soviet Woman, 31 May 1964: 'A New Realm', end of Soviet delegation's Indonesia visit report
Soviet Woman, 31 May 1964, p. (fragment): closing section of a Soviet Women's Committee delegation account of Indonesia (Mother's Day, Dec 1963), followed by an unrelated agricultural chemistry article. Delegates met Hurustiati Subandrio, Madame Supeni and 'Madame Umi Sarjono, Member of Parliament and President of Gerw