Sukarno's Konsepsi widely supported; Nahdlatul Ulama opposes (Renmin Ribao, 24 February 1957)
Renmin Ribao, 24 Feb 1957, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): reports support for Sukarno's Konsepsi (mutual-cooperation cabinet) from SOBSI and Gerwani, whose 22 Feb statement cites imperialist plots and the rebellions of Lubis, Simbolon and Hussein; Nahdlatul Ulama's Duta Masyarakat and parliamentary chair Asjin oppose it.
Terror in Central Sumatra: Banteng Council arrests PKI members and Gerwani leaders
De Waarheid, 28 Feb 1957, p. 7: short report that the rebel 'Banteng Council' in Central Sumatra has set up a terror regime, arresting PKI members, unionists and democrats, and placing prominent members of the women's organisation Gerwani under 'town arrest'. SOBSI in Jakarta decided to call protest strikes. Early repo
Umi Sardjono article and Mudigdio speech in parliament; Gerwani defends menstrual leave (Harian Rakjat, 7 March 1957)
Harian Rakjat, 7 Mar 1957, p. 3: includes an article by Ny. Umi Sardjono for International Women's Day on women's struggle and rights (alongside a science piece), a DPR report with Ny. Mudigdio (PKI) speaking on 6 March, and Gerwani branch items. Notes 46 organisations including Gerwani opposing abolition of menstrual
Harian Rakjat, 9 March 1957: Umi Sardjono at the Women's Day exhibition
Harian Rakjat issue of 9 March 1957, very noisy OCR. Page 1 reports the International Women's Day exhibition (handicrafts, cooking, costumes, foreign stalls) in Jakarta, where Umi Sardjono (Gerwani leader) is among women leaders present alongside Fatmawati; the committee of ten women's organisations is chaired by Yahya
45 members in total: National Council definitively formed by president and cabinet
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1957-06-15, p. 1): announcement of the 45-member National Council (Dewan Nasional) under Sukarno, with Roeslan Abdulgani as vice-chair and secretary-general. Functional-group seats include workers (SOBSI's Munir), youth (Sujono Atmo, PKI) and women's organisations: Mrs. S.K. Trimurti and Mrs.
Composition of the National Council announced
Java-Bode, 15 June 1957, p. 1: government announces the 45-member National Council chaired by Sukarno, with Roeslan Abdulgani as vice-chair. Women's organisations are represented by S.K. Trimurti and Rasuna Said; other members include Sobsi's Munir, PKI's Sujono Atmo, painter Henk Ngantung, Towoliu and Siwabessy, plus
Composition of the National Council announced
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 22 Jun 1957, p. 1: government announces the 45-member National Council under Sukarno, with Roeslan Abdulgani as vice-chair. S.K. Trimurti and Rasuna Said are named as the two representatives of women's organisations; Henk Ngantung (artists) and Ahem Erningpradja (labour) also appear.
SOBSI and price rise
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1957-07-10, p. 2): on 6 July a SOBSI National Council delegation led by Setiati Surasto met Labour Minister Samjono about rising prices of daily necessities, suggesting that labour unions be involved in solving the problem; the minister promised attention and SOBSI will meet other m
Installation and swearing-in of National Council does not undermine authority of cabinet and parliament
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1957-07-13, p. 1): Sukarno installs the 45-member National Council (Dewan Nasional) at the Istana Negara, swearing in 32 members, and stresses it does not undermine cabinet or parliament but assists, lends authority and bridges society and government. The full list names S.K. Trimurti and Rasu
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1958): National Conference of Communist Women
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1958) analysis of the First National Conference of Communist Women (Jakarta, 26-31 May 1958). Aidit's address presents the 'Communist woman' and calls for a wider Gerwani; Suharti Suwarto (Gerwani second deputy chair) and Sundari report on women's groups, only 100,000 women PKI membe
Gerwani Central Sumatra: statement against the PRRI rebels (Bintang Timur, 31 March 1958)
Bintang Timur, 31 March 1958, p. 1 (during the PRRI rebellion). Reports a statement by the Gerwani Sumatera Tengah leadership: women and people of Central Sumatra cannot be fooled again by the 'traitors' (PRRI, proclaimed 14 February 1958), stand firmly behind the central government, the army chief and President Sukarn
Gerwani DPP protests to the US and Taiwan governments (Bintang Timur, 6 May 1958)
Bintang Timur, 6 May 1958, p. 1 (after APRI's recapture of West Sumatran towns). Reports the Gerwani DPP's protest to the US and Taiwan governments over their intervention supporting Permesta/PRRI, demanding they stop interference, respect Indonesia's sovereignty and Asia-Africa, and appealing to American women to pres
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 (
Pravda, 1960: voice of Indonesian mothers; Setiati Surasto of SOBSI
Pravda, No. 40, c. 9 Feb 1960, p. 3 (selected page). Jakarta dispatch 'The voice of Indonesian mothers' (8 Feb): women's-movement activist Sri Slamet, SOBSI National Council member Setiati Surasto and mother Maruto Nitimihardjo welcome Khrushchev's planned visit and general-disarmament proposal. Also a Gromyko-Adam Mal
Pravda, 1960: Setiati Surasto of SOBSI and Indonesian mothers (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, No. 40, c. 9 Feb 1960, 'The voice of Indonesian mothers' (Jakarta, 8 Feb): women's activist Sri Slamet, SOBSI National Council member Setiati Surasto and mother Maruto Nitimihardjo greet Khrushchev's coming visit and back his general-disarmament proposal, framed as the wish of Indonesian
Documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress, Vol. II (Bintang Merah special, 1960)
Volume II of the documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress (Jakarta, 7-14 September 1959; Bintang Merah special, Yayasan Pembaruan, 1960): delegates' speeches. It includes the speech of Suharti, deputy chair of the Gerwani national leadership (pp. 595-603), on women as the most oppressed, peasant women, women cadres
Documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress, Vol. II (Bintang Merah special, 1960)
Volume II of the documents of the PKI Sixth National Congress (Jakarta, 7-14 September 1959; Bintang Merah special, Yayasan Pembaruan, 1960): delegates' speeches. It includes the speech of Suharti, deputy chair of the Gerwani national leadership (pp. 595-603), on women as the most oppressed, peasant women, women cadres
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960: Gerwani welcomes Khrushchev among mass organisations (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, No. 62, 2 March 1960, report 'People must live happily!' on Khrushchev's Indonesia visit. Leading figures of SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat, the women's movement Gerwani, the Peace Committee, the Soviet friendship society and Lekra gathered with gifts at his residence; SOBSI's Njono spoke of f
Friendship association and other groups see off returning overseas Chinese (Renmin Ribao, 19 June 1960)
Renmin Ribao, 19 Jun 1960, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): representatives of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association, the Peace Committee and Gerwani see off East and West Java Chinese leaving on Chinese ships. Peace Committee chair Mrs Arudji (PSII) and Gerwani leader Mrs Mandaki speak of lasting friendship; returnees say
Friendship association and other groups see off returning overseas Chinese (Renmin Ribao, 19 June 1960)
Renmin Ribao, 19 Jun 1960, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): representatives of the Indonesia-China Friendship Association, the Peace Committee and Gerwani see off East and West Java Chinese leaving on Chinese ships. Peace Committee chair Mrs Arudji (PSII) and Gerwani leader Mrs Mandaki speak of lasting friendship; returnees say
Biographical Profiles of DPR-GR Members, Aug 1960
Compilation of US embassy Djakarta biographical despatches (2 Aug 1960) on members of the new Gotong Royong parliament. Contains profiles of Gerwani figures: Umi Sardjono (Gerwis then Gerwani chairwoman, WIDF delegate 1960), Francisca Fanggidaej (PKI women's group Gerwani board), Setiati Surasto (SARBUPRI, Gerwani link
Colonel in South Borneo 'suspends' PKI and Gerwani activity
De Waarheid, 26 Aug 1960, p. 1: report that the military commander of South Kalimantan, Colonel Hasan Basry, 'temporarily suspended' activities of the PKI and other organisations in the province, including SOBSI, Pemuda Rakjat, the BTI peasant front, the women's organisation Gerwani and a cultural body, saying PKI ideo
The Communist Party of Indonesia 1951-1961: A Decade of the Aidit Leadership (Hindley, 1961)
Donald Hindley's 1961 ANU PhD thesis on the Indonesian Communist Party under the Aidit leadership, 1951-1961, covering PKI strategy, party-building, finances, mass organisations and elections. Section 'Women' (pp. 422-448, esp. 'Gerwani', pp. 428-441) traces Gerwis from its founding on 4 June 1950 (about 500 members) t
National Seminar on Peasant Women, 17-20 January 1961 (DPP Gerwani)
Gerwani national leadership (DPP) brochure of the National Seminar on Peasant Women, Jakarta, 17-20 January 1961 (published 1962). Contains the DPP keynote on peasant-women's emancipation against imperialism and feudal remnants, speeches by BTI, ministers and D.N. Aidit, regional delegates' land-tenure reports, a Mudig
Protest at US support for Dutch seizure of West Irian; Gerwani letter to Robert Kennedy (Renmin Ribao, 17 February 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 17 Feb 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): during US Attorney General Robert Kennedy's visit, Indonesian student bodies, trade unions and Gerwani protest US support for Dutch 'self-determination' on West Irian; Gerwani delivered a protest letter to the US embassy. Students shout 'Recover West Irian' at Gadjah M
Protest at US support for Dutch seizure of West Irian; Gerwani letter to Robert Kennedy (Renmin Ribao, 17 February 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 17 Feb 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): during US Attorney General Robert Kennedy's visit, Indonesian student bodies, trade unions and Gerwani protest US support for Dutch 'self-determination' on West Irian; Gerwani delivered a protest letter to the US embassy. Students shout 'Recover West Irian' at Gadjah M
West Irian struggle for a healthier economy
Nieuw Guinea Koerier, 23 June 1962, p. 3: Setiati Surasto, an Indonesian delegate at the ILO conference in Geneva, says all progressive forces in Indonesia are uniting against Dutch colonial stubbornness in West Irian and that Indonesia will use other means if peaceful liberation fails, framing it as part of workers' s
Indonesian mass organisations urge refusal of Taiwan's participation in the Asian Games (Renmin Ribao, 5 August 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 5 Aug 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat, railway and other unions, and Gerwani's Central Committee urge the government to bar Taiwan (and Israel) from the Fourth Asian Games in Jakarta. Gerwani's letter says Indonesia's policy recognises only one China, the PRC. Pemuda Rakjat recalls
Indonesian mass organisations urge refusal of Taiwan's participation in the Asian Games (Renmin Ribao, 5 August 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 5 Aug 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakjat, railway and other unions, and Gerwani's Central Committee urge the government to bar Taiwan (and Israel) from the Fourth Asian Games in Jakarta. Gerwani's letter says Indonesia's policy recognises only one China, the PRC. Pemuda Rakjat recalls
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