Women's delegation at the palace: uproar over Sukarno's new marriage
Leeuwarder Courant, 21 September 1954, p. 3: Dutch roundup of the uproar over Sukarno's marriage to Hartini. A four-woman delegation led by Perwari chair Mrs Kartowijono visited the palace; Indonesian, Chinese and Malayan-region papers are quoted, some warning that the fuss helps the PKI, Indonesia Raya calling it a bl
Uproar over Sukarno's marriage not yet calmed: women's delegation received by the president
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant (21 Sep 1954): uproar over Sukarno's marriage to Mrs Suwondo (Hartini). A four-woman delegation led by Perwari chair Mrs Kartowijono spent an hour at the palace. Indonesian papers divide; Keng Po fears PKI advantage, Indonesia Raya calls the marriage 'a great blow to the women's m
Sukarno's second marriage: Indonesian press deplores president's decision
Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant (21 Sep 1954) survey of Indonesian press reaction to Sukarno's second marriage (to Mrs Suwondo): attacks on the 'palace clique', Keng Po's fear it will favour the PKI, Suara Rakyat and Pikiran Rakyat lamenting a presidential crisis. A Perwari-led women's delegation visited
Indonesian women rise up against Sukarno's second marriage
Le Lorrain (30 Sep 1954, p.10), Jakarta dispatch: Sukarno's secret June marriage to Hartini Suwondo has turned political after women's organisation Perwari asked government and parliament to regulate leaders' marriages and draw up a marriage law. It blames Sukarno for not warning Fatmawati. A committee defends his repu
Action for liberation of Irian (mass meeting, Jakarta, December 1954)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (6 Dec 1954, p.2): a mass meeting in Jakarta, organised by the Irian liberation committee and women's organisations, adopted a resolution urging unilateral incorporation of Irian, breaking relations and agreements with the Netherlands. Speakers included Mrs Sularman Hadikusumo (Wanita Demokr
Indonesian Women's 3rd Congress, Palembang, 2-6 March 1955 (Indian Daily Mail)
Indian Daily Mail (Singapore), 2 March 1955, p. 1: the third Indonesian Women's Congress is held in Palembang, 2-6 March, with 300 delegates of women's organisations. Preparatory committee chair is Mrs S.A. Hanafiah (Gerwani), secretary Mrs R. Mailan (Gerwani), treasurer Mrs Djauhari; Perwari, Gerwani, Wanita Demokrat
Daily Worker, 13 May 1955: Perwari, Indonesia's largest women's organisation, joins Asian women leaders (assail polygamy
Page 8 of the Daily Worker (New York, 13 May 1955). A short Djakarta dispatch (12 May) reports that the central committee of Perwari, described as Indonesia's largest women's organisation, joined Pakistani women in criticising Prime Minister Mohammed Ali's second marriage, and recalls Perwari's protest the previous yea
A home
Fragmentary Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item 'Een tehuis' (1955-06-02, p. 2): proposal for a children's home with expert carers for neglected children of working or ill parents. The plan arose at a meeting of main women's organisations, including Perwari, Budi Isteri and Gerwani, in Bandung; a founding committee formed on
First Lady
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item 'First Lady' (1955-12-31, p. 1): Perwari chair Mrs. Kartowijono says any socially acceptable woman can be First Lady and urges a marriage law quickly. Muslimat (Masyumi) and Gerwani are still deliberating on the question and could not yet comment, in the context of the Sukarno marria
USIS refuses Gerwani representative; Gerwani central board explains (Bintang Timur, 8 May 1956)
Bintang Timur (Jakarta daily), 8 May 1956, full issue. A front-page item reports that the Indonesian Women's Congress decided to send five organisation representatives, including one from Gerwani, to accompany the delegation to the UN Economic and Social Council in New York, but USIS refused the Gerwani delegate withou
ACWF banquet for Mrs Abdulgani and the Indonesian women's delegation (Renmin Ribao, 30 September 1956)
Renmin Ribao, 30 Sep 1956, p. 2 (Xinhua): the All-China Democratic Women's Federation hosts a banquet for an Indonesian women's delegation led by Mrs Abdulgani, including Perwari chair Mrs Sudaman and wives of parliamentary leaders. Deng Yingchao stresses shared anti-colonial experience. Gerwani is not named.
ACWF banquet for Mrs Abdulgani and the Indonesian women's delegation (Renmin Ribao, 30 September 1956)
Renmin Ribao, 30 Sep 1956, p. 2 (Xinhua): the All-China Democratic Women's Federation hosts a banquet for an Indonesian women's delegation led by Mrs Abdulgani, including Perwari chair Mrs Sudaman and wives of parliamentary leaders. Deng Yingchao stresses shared anti-colonial experience. Gerwani is not named.
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
Woman and the Changing Marriage Pattern of Indonesia (van der Kroef, 1957)
Journal article by Justus M. van der Kroef (American Catholic Sociological Review, June 1957) on women's status and marriage in Indonesia: adat versus Islamic law, polygamy, divorce rates, colonial and revolutionary change. Surveys women's organisations (Perwari, Kowani) and notes Kowani's early left turn and WIDF cont
Pewarta Soerabaia, 7 October 1957: Surabaya women's organisations federation
Pewarta Soerabaia, 7 Oct 1957, p. 2: Surabaya women's federation elects a board (30 Sept 1957) with the governor's wife as patron and Nj. Moh. Tam of Gerwani as first secretary.
Monday evening (page 3, 21 Nov 1957)
Page image of Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1957-11-21, p. 3) with several articles. Relevant: the parliamentary budget debate in which PKI women MPs Umi Sardjono and Sundari Abdulrachman speak (same text as GA-00568), and Lt.-Col. Dachjar addressing a meeting of the 'Gerakan Massa Wanita' (Women's Mass Movement) in Jakart
History of Jakarta City Government (Greater Jakarta Municipality, 1958)
Sedjarah Pemerintahan Kota Djakarta, an official history of Jakarta's city government from Dutch Batavia to the end of 1957, compiled by Drs. The Liang Gie and published by the Kotapradja Djakarta Raya in 1958. It has nothing on Gerwani as such. It notes that women could vote for the Batavia council only from 1941 and
FBIS, 28 October 1958: Indonesians laud CPR construction gains
FBIS-monitored Xinhua item (28 Oct 1958; header misdates 1953): Indonesian political figures returning from China praised China's construction, communes and the Great Leap Forward. Includes Mme Kartowijono, Perwari secretary-general, praising communes' labour enthusiasm, food, clothing and education; Anwar Tjokroaminot
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
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
FO 371/181556: Joint Malaysia-Indonesia Department, Propaganda [1] (1965)
UK Foreign Office file FO 371/181556 (Joint Malaysia-Indonesia Department, 1965): minutes, letters and telegrams on countering Indonesian propaganda during Konfrontasi (crashed-aircraft evidence, guidance telegram no. 36, Afro-Asian posts). It has nothing on Gerwani in the official papers. Filed within it is a printed
Armed Forces Information Centre, Intisari Berita, 10 December 1965: Chaerul Saleh condemns Lubang Buaya terror, Perwa...
Armed Forces Information Centre bulletin, 10 Desember 1965. Arrest round-up with 'a Gerwani'; Chaerul Saleh condemns the 'terror of Lubang Buaya in which Gerwani took an important part' and announces expulsion of Perwari members also in Gerwani.
President Speaks to Women's Association (FBIS, 17 Dec 1965)
FBIS item (Jakarta radio, 17 Dec 1965) on Sukarno's speech at Perwari's 20th anniversary rally. He stressed ideas and Pantjasila, and the need for men and women together. Chaerul Saleh urged care for children of Gestapu victims or participants. Minister Rusiah Sardjono pledged Perwari loyalty. Gerwani is not named; the
Speech to Women's Group: Sukarno at Perwari Anniversary (FBIS, 17 Dec 1965)
FBIS summary of Sukarno's 17 Dec 1965 speech at the Perwari anniversary rally. He praised West Irian volunteer Herlina, discussed ideas and 'progressive' versus 'retrogressive' revolutionaries, and defended Nasakom. He ordered a tribunal for those directly involved in Gestok and said those responsible for killing innoc
Airgram A-408: Joint Weeka no. 48, 21 Dec 1965
US Embassy Joint Weeka no. 48 (airgram A-408), 21 Dec 1965: estimates 100,000 PKI deaths and 10,000 on Bali; notes Sukarno addressing the 20th anniversary of Perwari. Only women-related scene is a non-communist women's group used as a stage.
Berita Yudha, 11 June 1966
Berita Yudha, 11 Juni 1966. Front page: Lt-Gen. Suharto at Perwari's 10th congress, where he is honoured 'Penyelamat Revolusi' and claims 40% of Central Java army units had been infiltrated; Gerwani mentioned.
Berita Yudha, 5 October 1966: interview with Ibu Tien Soeharto
Berita Yudha, 5 Oktober 1966: wawancara Ibu Tien Soeharto. Armed Forces Day issue with a front-page interview with Ibu Tien Soeharto, 'May our children not inherit the barbarity and immorality of Gerwani', and Perwari conferring 'Penyelamat Revolusi' on Suharto.
Interview with Maria Ulfah Santoso: PKI and Gerwani tried to control Kowani (Tempo, c. 1977; JPRS)
JPRS translation of a Tempo profile (c. early 1977) of Maria Ulfah Santoso (b. Serang 1911): her marriage to political prisoner Soebadio Sastrosatomo with Subandrio's help (Jan 1964), early women's-movement work, Perwari and Kowani, and the PSI. She says that during her 11 years leading Kowani from 1952, 'PKI and Gerwa
Social system (on the Indonesian women's movement after 1949)
De Waarheid text (7 May 1988, p.6), apparently a speech/interview by an unnamed Indonesian woman, on the Indonesian women's movement. She says Gerwani, with about 1.5 million members after 1949, gave the movement its mass character defending peasant and working women, while Perwari led on polygamy; after 1965 Gerwani w
Bernas, 8 January 1992: 'Pluralism and Indonesian women'
Bernas (Yogyakarta), 8 Jan 1992, p. 4: essay by a UGM student on Indonesian women's organisations 1945–65, noting sharp Guided Democracy conflict between Gerwani and Kowani culminating in 1965, and criticising later homogenisation.