CIA information report, April 1949: The WIDF in the Far East
CIA information report, April 1949 (catalogued 18 April): 'The WIDF in the Far East'. Lists delegates at the WIDF Council's first session (Paris, Feb 1947) and traces WIDF contacts in China, Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore, a proposed 1948 fact-finding commission on women in India, Indonesia and elsewhere, and plans af
Potentials of World Communism: Women's International Democratic Federation (OIR report, 1949)
OSS/State Department intelligence report (1 Aug 1949) on the Women's International Democratic Federation as a communist front: origins in the Soviet Anti-Fascist Committee of Women, 1945 Paris founding, leaders (Cotton, Popova, Ibarruri, Cai Chang), membership claims and Asia activities. Indonesia is mentioned only in
WIDF pamphlet (Berlin, Dec 1952) surveying women's political rights, wages, unemployment, education, rural conditions and social protection country by country, and issuing the Call to the World Congress of Women (Denmark, June 1953). Indonesia appears briefly: equal rights on paper under the 1950 Constitution, no elect
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
As One! For Equality, For Happiness, For Peace: World Congress of Women, Copenhagen 1953
Report volume (WIDF, Berlin, 1953) on the World Congress of Women, Copenhagen, 5-10 June 1953: reports, speeches, documents, resolutions and the officers elected. Gerwani and Gerwis are not named. Indonesia appears in the congress report (p. 4), which says its 10 delegates and observers came from six organisations, one
Sunday Worker, 28 June 1953, p. 12: World Congress of Women, Copenhagen (Indonesian delegates)
Sunday Worker, 28 June 1953, p. 12: account of the WIDF World Congress of Women in Copenhagen, describing delegates in the lobby (including 'exquisite Indonesians') and calls for peace. A moving scene has Indonesian and Dutch women embracing after a Dutch delegate said her people fought for liberty everywhere; Vietnam,
Soviet Woman, 31 Dec 1953: 'We Are Stronger Than Ever', WIDF and the Copenhagen Congress
Soviet Woman, 31 Dec 1953, pp. 49-52: WIDF declaration for peaceful settlement and Eugenie Cotton's statement, then Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier's 'We are stronger than ever' on follow-up to the Copenhagen World Congress of Women. One sentence notes the Indonesian women's union GERWIS would hold its congress in Dece
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
WIDF commemorative booklet (Berlin, 1955) for its tenth anniversary: history from the 1945 Paris founding congress, peace and anti-atom campaigns, the 1953 Copenhagen Congress, children's work, the 1955 Lausanne World Congress of Mothers. Page 28 states that in Indonesia 'the women's organization which had 6,000 member
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
FBIS, 7 March 1956: Greetings messages (International Women's Day, Peking)
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (7 Mar 1956): a Peking women's rally on the eve of International Women's Day sent greetings to WIDF; the All-China Democratic Women's Federation sent messages to women's groups across Asia and Africa. Includes a message to Wanita Indonesia (Indonesian Women's Congress and the Indonesian Wom
CIA directories, February 1957: International communist-front organizations (WIDF section)
CIA compilation of reference data (February 1957, data to 1 October 1956) on international communist-front organisations and friendship societies, including the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF). The WIDF directory lists headquarters, publications, executive officers and national affiliates. Under Indo
Documents of the 4th WIDF Congress, Vienna, 1-5 June 1958
Document pack of the WIDF Fourth Congress, Vienna, 1-5 June 1958: Eugenie Cotton's report on women's role, the Manifesto, resolutions on peace, women's rights and children, appeals to the UN, credentials report and constitution. Indonesia appears in passing: Cotton credits 'the Indonesian Women's Movement' with improvi
CIA study, September 1958: The international communist fronts in 1958
CIA/US government study (September 1958) surveying the activities of the international Communist fronts (World Peace Council, Afro-Asian Solidarity Council, WFDY/IUS, WIDF, WFTU and others) in 1958. Chapter IV covers WIDF's Fourth Congress (Vienna, 1-5 June 1958) and secretariat. Gerwani appears only briefly: Suharti (
The atomic age: a challenge to women
Tribune magazine page, 1 Oct 1958, p. 6: Mary Lester (Union of Australian Women, Perth) reports on the Fourth World Congress of Women (WIDF, Vienna, June 1958; 76 countries). Themes: atomic-test ban, status of women, children's education. Indonesia appears only in passing: two women MPs from Indonesia, with Indian and
The atomic age: a challenge to women
Tribune magazine page, 1 Oct 1958, p. 6: Mary Lester (Union of Australian Women, Perth) reports on the Fourth World Congress of Women (WIDF, Vienna, June 1958; 76 countries). Themes: atomic-test ban, status of women, children's education. Indonesia appears only in passing: two women MPs from Indonesia, with Indian and
WIDF World Gathering of Women for Disarmament, Vienna 1962: participants list
WIDF proceedings of the World Gathering of Women for Disarmament, Vienna, 23-25 March 1962 (300 women, 59 countries): Eugenie Cotton's introductory report, adopted appeals, and a list of participants. The Asia section lists two delegates 'representing the Indonesian Women's Movement (GERWANI)': Mrs Ana Abdulrachman and
The Struggle between Two Lines at the Moscow World Congress of Women (Peking, 1963)
Chinese-published pamphlet (Foreign Languages Press, Peking, 1963) with statements and a report by Yang Yun-yu attacking Soviet and WIDF leaders at the June 1963 Moscow World Congress of Women over anti-imperialism versus disarmament and peaceful coexistence. It records the Indonesian delegation, led by Umi Sardjono, s
World Congress of Women, Moscow, June 1963
WIDF publication on the World Congress of Women, Moscow, 24-29 June 1963 (1,543 women, 113 countries): reports, speeches, resolutions and the new WIDF council list. Gerwani is mentioned briefly: its roughly 1,000 day nurseries for working mothers are cited as a model; its role in the West Irian campaign is praised; and
JPRS 1963: Parjani Pradono criticises the WIDF programme (Moscow World Congress of Women)
Page from a US JPRS volume (Translations on the People's Republic of China, Oct-Nov 1963) summarising Chinese press reports on the June 1963 WIDF World Congress of Women in Moscow. Indonesian women's leader Parjani Pradono is quoted calling the WIDF programme 'devoid of revolutionary essence' and describing the Indones
Moscow News, 29 Jun 1963: WIDF World Congress of Women, Moscow
Moscow News (English), 29 June 1963, p. 6: report on the WIDF World Congress of Women in Moscow (June 1963), with abridged report by President Eugenie Cotton and sessions on peace, colonialism, children's welfare and women's rights. Umi Sardjono (Indonesia), WIDF Vice-President and Gerwani chair, read greetings from J.
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.
Short FBIS item from TASS (8 Jun 1964): the Liaison Bureau Presidium set up at the 1960 Copenhagen women's meeting opened in Moscow (8-12 June) with Eugenie Cotton (WIDF), Popova (Soviet women's committee), and Hurustiati Subandrio, chairman of the Indonesian women's congress (Kowani), among others. Context for Indones
Women of the Whole World, May 1965: 20th anniversary of victory over fascism
Full May 1965 issue of Women of the Whole World (WIDF), a commemorative number for the 20th anniversary of victory over Nazism: women in the resistance, wartime memoirs and Sholokhov's story, Coventry, Leningrad, Warsaw, Lidice-type massacres, Dresden and Hiroshima, plus peace, Vietnam and anticolonial pieces. Indonesi
Issue of New Age, weekly organ of the Communist Party of India, 21 November 1965 (Vol. XIII No. 47; OCR very rough). Mainly Indian politics (Shastri, US food blackmail, Indo-Soviet friendship, Bangalore peace conference). It reports the WIDF Council session in Salzburg (24-27 Oct 1965, 20th anniversary), where a Chines
Cecile Hugel, Report of Activities of the WIDF to the 6th Congress, Helsinki, 1969
Activity report by WIDF General Secretary Cecile Hugel to the Sixth WIDF Congress, Helsinki, 17 June 1969. Covers Viet Nam and Middle East solidarity, Latin American seminars, UN consultative status regained, and future plans. Page 8 notes WIDF's concern for 'democratic men and women in Indonesia', a telegram to Genera
WIDF Report on Activities, Sixth Congress, Helsinki 1969
WIDF 1969 Sixth Congress documents (Helsinki): auditing committee financial report and General Secretary Cécile Hugel's report on activities since 1963. Mostly Vietnam, Middle East and Latin America; Hugel notes WIDF's concern for 'democratic men and women in Indonesia', its telegram to Suharto, and that nothing had be
7th WIDF Congress, International Women's Year, Berlin 1975
Published proceedings of the 7th Congress of the Women's International Democratic Federation (WIDF), Berlin, 26 October 1975: opening and general-secretary addresses (Aruna Asaf Ali, Fanny Edelman), the report on WIDF work since the 1969 Helsinki congress, finance and credentials reports, the Prospective Plan to 1980 a
The WIDF: History, Main Agenda, and Contributions, 1945-1991 (de Haan, c.2012)
Overview essay by Francisca de Haan (Women and Social Movements International database, c. 2012) on WIDF's origins, agenda, UN role and Cold War marginalisation, 1945-1991. Gerwani is listed once as a large, influential WIDF member organisation (with footnotes to Wieringa and to McGregor on Indonesian women and WIDF);