The committee
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-08-06, p. 2): composition of the Bandung 17 August committee, chaired by the mayor, with vice-chairs from Masyumi, PNI, PKI and NU. Treasurers are Mrs. Kamarga (Perwari), Mrs. S. Sriwenda (Parkiwa) and one more Gerwani member still to be named. Also a basketball tournament anno
In Jember the railwaymen strike again; Gerwani feeds the strikers
De Nieuwsgier item (7 Aug 1956): railway union SBKA strike in Jember halted two goods trains; the local Gerwani branch voluntarily supplied food to the strikers, and railway management's attempt to register absentees was withdrawn after worker reaction. An example of Gerwani solidarity with labour.
Railway strike in Jember
Java-Bode, 7 August 1956, p. 2: report on a railway workers' (SBKA) strike at Jember that stopped two goods trains. The Jember branch of Gerwani voluntarily supplied the strikers with food; management's attempt to register absentees was withdrawn after worker reaction, and there was no disorder.
Domestic news roundup: Buleleng Gerwani protests bail in rape-murder case
Domestic news roundup in De Nieuwsgier (11 Aug 1956). One item: the Buleleng branch of Gerwani protested to the government against the release on bail (Rp 400,000) of S. Atamimi, suspected of rape and murder, demanding re-arrest and heavy punishment. Other items concern military operations and Fatmawati Sukarno.
Mrs Fatmawati Sukarno
Java-Bode, 14 August 1956, p. 2: Fatmawati Sukarno arrives in Surabaya after visiting her mother-in-law in Blitar with daughters Megawati and Sukmawati, calling it a family visit. Representatives of Gerwani's Surabaya branch handed her a resolution raising the Atamimi question; she did not answer whether she would go w
Gudok, 17 Aug 1956: 'Indonesia today' for the Republic's 11th anniversary
Gudok (Soviet railwaymen's paper), 17 Aug 1956, p. 4. Survey article by G. Svetlanov for the Republic's 11th anniversary: Dutch colonial legacy, nationalisations, five-year plan, foreign policy and Sukarno's coming visit. One passage lists Gerwani, 'half a million members', among leading patriotic mass organisations be
Mrs Soong Ching Ling at Institute for the Deaf-Mute
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-08-20, p. 2): report of Soong Ching Ling's visit to Bandung, including the Institute for the Deaf-Mute and a dinner with Governor Sanusi. At nine in the evening a women's delegation led by Gerwani called on her, after which the evening continued with singing and dancing.
Gerwani's greetings to Egyptian women (Bintang Timur, 28 August 1956)
Bintang Timur, 28 August 1956, p. 2 (four-page issue; OCR jumbled). A short item, 'Salam Gerwani pada wanita Mesir', reports Gerwani's message of solidarity to Egyptian women in the Suez nationalisation crisis: Indonesian women are 'proud' and fully support Egypt's heroic, patriotic defence of its national claim. Surro
Pravda, 5 Sep 1956: President Sukarno's visit to the Soviet Union
Pravda, 5 Sept 1956 (No. 249), partial issue (pp. 1, 4, 6, machine-translated): TASS and correspondents' reports on President Sukarno's tour of the USSR (Sverdlovsk, Tashkent) and Indonesian reactions. On p. 6 O. Chechetkina quotes Darmini, 'one of the leaders of the mass women's organization Gerwani', hailing the visi
Pravda, 5 Sep 1956: Gerwani leader on Sukarno's visit to the USSR (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, No. 249, 5 Sept 1956, report by correspondent O. Chechetkina (Jakarta, 4 Sept) on Indonesian reactions to President Sukarno's visit to the USSR. D. N. Aidit and Darmini, 'one of the leaders of the mass women's organization Gerwani', hail it as the first visit of Indonesia's president to t
Installation of transitional council
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-09-13, p. 2): installation of Bandung's transitional municipal council by Governor Sanusi Hardjadinata. A photo caption lists members, including Mrs. Rd. Moesmini of Gerwani, Miss Sari Banon Jachja (NU) and Mrs. Amartiwi Moh. Saleh (PSI); the council serves one year.
CIA compilation, October 1956: WIDF - a compilation of available basic information
CIA compilation 'WIDF: A Compilation of Available Basic Information' (Oct 1956). In its affiliate list it gives Gerwani (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia) claimed strength of 281,000 (Feb 1955) and 565,147 (Apr 1956), with president Umi Sardjono and vice-president Suharti Suwarto (p.20); the WIDF Council list shows Indonesian
Statements
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-11-12, p. 2): a campaign of protest statements and telegrams against the British-French and Israeli attack on Egypt (Suez) is sent to the Indonesian government and British and French embassies by SOBSI, Sarbupri, Lekra West Java, Gerwani, OBSI Sumatra, KBKI Bandung, SBII and Pe
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1957): Gerwani leaders and branches, Umi Sardjono chair
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1957) extracts: a Central Borneo women's committee, including Gerwani, backing Sukarno's Concept and asking that marriage law be prioritised; Kowani's Fourth Congress (Surabaya) with Mudigdio of Gerwani as treasurer; Muljani as Central Java Gerwani chair; new North Sumatra and Jakart
1957 'Letter to an Unknown Friend' by Sudjinah (Gerwani) on Indonesian children's conditions, framed by colonial history, Japanese occupation and the Round Table agreement. Gives statistics (15-20% infant mortality, one doctor per 59,000, illiteracy 65%, 5 of 12 million children in school) and notes Gerwani, with the I
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
Bandung in brief
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad 'Bandung in short' column (1957-01-02, p. 2), partly unreadable. Relevant items: Gerwani's regional congress will end with a reception on 3 January at the Gedung Jajasan in Bandung to announce its decisions; Gerwani Tasikmalaya sent a statement to the Constituent Assembly wanting the constituti
Bandung in brief: Gerwani reception
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1957-01-02): to conclude its regional congress, Gerwani will hold a reception on 3 January at 19.30 at the Gedung Jajasan in Bandung, at which the congress decisions will be announced.
Constitution 1945
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item 'Constitutie 1945' (1957-01-02): the Constituent Assembly secretariat received statements from Semarang youth, individuals, Gerwani Tasikmalaya, Sebda and Ex-TP Solo, all wanting the constitution grounded in the spirit of the 1945 Proclamation and Pancasila.
Pewarta Soerabaia, 3 January 1957: 'Gerwani anniversary' (Malang)
Pewarta Soerabaia, 3 Jan 1957, p. 4: Malang item on Gerwani Kota Besar Malang celebrating its sixth anniversary (30–31 Dec 1956) with a history of its founding, about 100 members and a sandiwara; page damaged.
Yu Siyem, Gerwani activist, by Sulami (Harian Rakjat, 16 January 1957)
Harian Rakjat, 16 Jan 1957, p. 3: women's page ('Wanita') with a short story by Sulami (Gerwani) about 'Yu Siyem', a village market woman and Gerwani branch activist who recruits neighbours, tours distant villages and wins her husband's support, showing membership expansion and the Anak-Cabang structure. Also Soviet sc
Surabaya Post, 21 January 1957, p. 2: Sujoso's lecture on a visit to Moscow
Surabaya Post p. 2, 21 January 1957: Malang report on Masyumi MP A.W. Sujoso's lecture on the parliamentary mission to Moscow, mocking Soviet life and saying Indonesian women, 'surely also Gerwani', would reject Soviet views on free unions. Gerwani appears only as a foil in anti-communist rhetoric.
The report must be fair: on education in the Soviet Union, by Mrs Mudigdio (Harian Rakjat, 30 January 1957)
Harian Rakjat, 30 Jan 1957, p. 3: the page carries only the headline 'Laporan harus wajar - Tentang pendidikan di Sovyet Uni' by Ny. Mudigdio; the article body is not recoverable from the OCR. Page 4 advertises Soviet booklets on women's right to education. Page 1 covers Hatta and the Konsepsi Presiden debate. Mudigdio
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
Harian Rakjat celebrates its sixth anniversary (Renmin Ribao, 2 February 1957)
Renmin Ribao, 2 Feb 1957, p. 5 (Xinhua, Jakarta): the PKI daily Harian Rakjat marks its sixth anniversary at a Jakarta meeting of about 1,000 on 31 Jan; Njono gives circulation as 60,000 and Aidit speaks for the PKI. Gerwani appears only among bodies sending congratulatory telegrams.
Harian Rakjat celebrates its sixth anniversary (Renmin Ribao, 2 February 1957)
Renmin Ribao, 2 Feb 1957, p. 5 (Xinhua, Jakarta): the PKI daily Harian Rakjat marks its sixth anniversary at a Jakarta meeting of about 1,000 on 31 Jan; Njono gives circulation as 60,000 and Aidit speaks for the PKI. Gerwani appears only among bodies sending congratulatory telegrams.
Jakarta diary: International Women's Day
Java-Bode, 11 February 1957, p. 2: Jakarta women's organisations formed a committee to prepare International Women's Day on 8 March: chair Mrs Jahja Malik (Perwamu), vice-chair Mrs Hermen, first secretary Mrs Kusnan of Gerwani, second secretary Mrs Darpin Busono (Baperki), treasurers Mrs Mandagi and Mrs Prawoto.
Merdeka, 12 February 1957: International Women's Day committee
Merdeka, 12 Feb 1957, p. 3: Antara item on Jakarta women's organisations forming a committee for International Women's Day (8 March 1957), chaired by Ny. Jahja Malik (Perwamu), with Gerwani, Baperki and others.
Indonesia in a bird's-eye view
Java-Bode, 13 February 1957, p. 2: column of Indonesian miscellany (shipping, floods, police study trip to Japan, FAO expert). One item says 28 parties and organisations in Maluku and West Irian, including PNI, PKI, PSII, Gerwani and Badan Rebut Irian, telegraphed the Indonesian UN delegation backing Indonesia's West I