CIA study (c. 1964): A world-wide Chinese communist propaganda operation directed against Brazil
Undated CIA study (c. mid-1964) of a worldwide Chinese Communist propaganda campaign protesting Brazil's April 1964 arrest of nine Chinese trade and news officials. Appendices list Chinese organisations and foreign groups that sent messages; Indonesian entries include the Chinese women's federation's message to the Cen
Merdeka, 25 April 1951: May Day 1951 preparations
Merdeka, 25 April 1951 (hlm. 2): plans for May Day 1951 by a central committee (SOBSI, KABM) assisted by the Peace Defence Committee, Lekra, Pemuda Rakyat, Sakti and Gerwis, framed as defence of world peace.
Wanita Sedar No. 14, 25 July 1951
Issue 14 of Wanita Sedar, fortnightly organ of Gerwis (25 July 1951). Covers preparation for the first Gerwis congress (57 branches, WIDF links), the Indonesian delegation to the Berlin youth festival including three Gerwis delegates, women in Czechoslovakia, and organisational news.
Abadi, 8 August 1951, p. 2: The Left's 17 August Committee
Abadi, 8 Aug 1951, p. 2: separate left-wing 17 August committees under a 'peace programme' in Jakarta and Bandung, with Gerwis, SOBSI, Lekra and others in charge of the programme.
Merdeka, 8 August 1951: Peace Committee organisations form 17 August committee
Merdeka, 8 Agustus 1951 (hlm. 2): mass organisations under the Peace Committee form their own 17 August committee with a 'peace programme', Gerwis and Lekra running the programme section.
Abadi, 4 February 1952, p. 2: World Youth Solidarity Day Committee
Abadi, 4 Feb 1952, p. 2: provisional committee including Gerwis, Lekra and Pemuda Rakjat to celebrate 21 February 1952 world youth solidarity day.
Suwarti, MP and chair of Gerwis, on the peace committee (Harian Rakjat, 3 May 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 3 May 1952. On p. 3 Suwarti, MP and general chair (ketua umum) of Gerwis, is listed among the Indonesians invited to join the preparatory committee for the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference, alongside Siauw Giok Chan, Ir. Setiadi and others. Pp. 2-3 also report May Day 1952 rallies where Gerwis marched with
Asia-Pacific peace conference preparations; Indonesian sponsors include Gerwis chair (Renmin Ribao, 17 May 1952)
Xinhua report in Renmin Ribao, 17 May 1952 (p. 1), on responses from twenty countries to Soong Ching-ling and Guo Moruo's call for an Asian and Pacific Regional Peace Conference in Beijing. For Indonesia it lists eleven sponsors named in April, including Suwati (Suwarti), MP and chairman of Gerwis, plus Setiadi, Siauw
Asia-Pacific peace conference preparations; Indonesian sponsors include Gerwis chair (Renmin Ribao, 17 May 1952)
Xinhua report in Renmin Ribao, 17 May 1952 (p. 1), on responses from twenty countries to Soong Ching-ling and Guo Moruo's call for an Asian and Pacific Regional Peace Conference in Beijing. For Indonesia it lists eleven sponsors named in April, including Suwati (Suwarti), MP and chairman of Gerwis, plus Setiadi, Siauw
FBIS, 17 May 1952: Conference appeal receives responses (Asia-Pacific Peace Conference)
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (17 May 1952) on responses from 20 countries to the call for an Asia-Pacific Peace Conference in Peking. The Indonesian section lists 11 sponsors chosen in April, including Suwarti, member of Parliament and president of Gerwis, plus Setiadi, Tjoa Sik Ien, Dharta (Lekra), Djawoto (Antara), S
Daily Worker, 27 May 1952: 20 nations pick delegates for Asia peace parley
Page 4 of the Daily Worker (New York, 27 May 1952) with a roundup of 20 countries naming delegates for the Asian Peace Conference preparatory meeting in Peking. The Indonesian list includes a member of Parliament named as president of the Indonesian Women's Movement ('Olpuwarti' in garbled OCR), alongside SOBSI, Lekra-
Delegation to US embassy protests bacteriological war in Korea
De Nieuwsgier, 27 June 1952 (Sin Po): on the Korean War anniversary, a nine-organisation delegation including Gerwis, SOBSI, Pemuda Rakjat, Lekra and the peace committee protests at the US embassy against alleged bacteriological warfare, but is turned away. They write to the foreign minister asking Indonesia to press f
Action against widows' pensions continues
De Locomotief, 14 Oct 1952, city news: a Semarang meeting of the committee rejecting Government Regulation 19/52 on widows' pensions for civil servants with multiple wives draws great interest from women's organisations. Twelve bodies including SOBSI, Lekra, Pemuda Rakjat and Gerwis reject the law and decide to continu
Surabaya branch of People's Security Congress founded to secure the elections
De Vrije Pers report (6 Oct 1954) on founding a Surabaya branch of the Congress Keamanan Rakjat to secure the coming elections, chaired by Pemuda Rakyat's Moh. Rasjad. Ansor objected; SOBSI, Lekra, Gerwani, IPPI and others agreed, and Gerwani Surabaya was elected second treasurer.
CIA intelligence survey of the PKI's history, structure and front organisations, May 1955, before the September 1955 elections. Section III.E (report pp. 49-50) profiles Gerwani: founded 1950 as Gerwis, renamed Gerwani at the March 1954 congress, 25,000+ members, S.K. Trimurti general chairman and Umi Sardjono chairman
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1956): Gerwani expansion, Umi Sardjono, Setiati Surasto
US Monthly Indonesian Press Survey (1956) extracts. A list of PKI's 39 parliamentary seats includes Gerwani leaders (Umi Sardjono, Suharti Suwarto, Mudigdio, Sundari Abdurachman, Charlotte Salawati); notes the Central Sumatra Gerwani conference (Bukittinggi, Feb 1956; 14,000 members, 216 sections) and new branches in J
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
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
Api Kartini No. 2, Year 1, 1959
Second issue of Api Kartini (Jajasan Melati, 1959). Covers the Vienna World Youth Festival delegation, West Irian, World Children's Day, Pramoedya's call to publish Kartini's works, an interview with athlete Karnah, and health and household columns.
CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 12 November 1959
CIA Current Intelligence Weekly Summary, 12 Nov 1959, a long multi-topic report; the Indonesia part (pp.23-27) assesses PKI strength (Aidit's claim of 1.5 million members, Java as base, army and Sukarno restrictions, Aidit's 1959 Moscow and Peking trip). It names GERWANI as the PKI's women's front, alongside Pemuda Rak
Izvestiia, 2 Mar 1960: 'A moving meeting', Khrushchev with Indonesian delegations in Jakarta
Izvestiia, 2 Mar 1960, p. 3, conclusion of a report on Khrushchev's farewell meeting in Jakarta with Indonesian representatives; Gerwani leaders are listed among those present with SOBSI, BTI, Pemuda Rakyat, Lekra. Speeches by Njono, Buntaran Martoatmodjo and peace activist Setiadi (probably not Gerwani); Khrushchev's
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960: Gerwani among Indonesian mass organisations at Khrushchev's farewell
Pravda, 2 Mar 1960 (No. 62), pp. 1-3, 5 (machine-translated): coverage of the end of Khrushchev's 12-day visit to Indonesia (farewell speeches by Khrushchev and Sukarno; Calcutta stop). Pp. 2-3 report a farewell meeting on 29 Feb with delegates of mass organisations, naming 'the Indonesian women's movement (Gerwani)' a
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
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
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
We All Are Lumumba (Lekra booklet, 1961)
Short Lekra booklet of 1961 mourning Patrice Lumumba, with poems by S. Anantaguna, Bandaharo, Njoto and Sitor Situmorang, translated into English (file name credits Bintang Suradi). It closes with 'A Letter for Pauline', written by the young woman writer Sugiarti Siswadi for International Women's Day 1961. Gerwani is n
We All Are Lumumba (Lekra booklet, 1961)
Short Lekra booklet of 1961 mourning Patrice Lumumba, with poems by S. Anantaguna, Bandaharo, Njoto and Sitor Situmorang, translated into English (file name credits Bintang Suradi). It closes with 'A Letter for Pauline', written by the young woman writer Sugiarti Siswadi for International Women's Day 1961. Gerwani is n
Neues Deutschland, 28 May 1961: Fifth German Writers' Congress, greetings by Rukiah Kertapati
Neues Deutschland p. 5 (28 May 1961), report on the Fifth German Writers' Congress in East Berlin. Among foreign guests' greetings, 'Frau Rukiah Kertapati' opened the third congress day by bringing greetings from Indonesian writers. The rest of the page is speeches by East German writers; the identification with the Le
Neues Deutschland, 28 May 1961: Fifth German Writers' Congress, greetings by Rukiah Kertapati
Neues Deutschland p. 5 (28 May 1961), report on the Fifth German Writers' Congress in East Berlin. Among foreign guests' greetings, 'Frau Rukiah Kertapati' opened the third congress day by bringing greetings from Indonesian writers. The rest of the page is speeches by East German writers; the identification with the Le
Contemporary Progressive Indonesian Poetry (anthology, Djakarta, 1962)
English anthology of progressive Indonesian poetry, 1955-61 (introduction dated Djakarta, 8 May 1962), from Zaman Baru, Harian Rakjat and Bintang Timur. Its contributor notes state that the poet Sugiarti Siswadi, who visited Romania (1955) and the GDR, USSR and China (1961) with Rukiah Kertapati as LEKRA delegation hea