De Vrije Pers report (2 Aug 1952) on a public meeting during the Gerwis East Java conference in Surabaya. Miss Sulami explained Gerwis as anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist, opposed the widows' pension rule as promoting polygamy, blamed polygamy on the lack of a marriage law and prostitution on imperialist-caused pov
Full-page OCR version (De Vrije Pers, 8 Aug 1952, Surabaya) of the item "Gerwis naar Peking": the East Java conference sends Mrs. Tam, Sulami and Warmi to the Asian peace conference. The page also carries an unrelated press-review attack on PKI support for the Wilopo cabinet and other garbled items.
Java-Bode, 11 Aug 1952, p. 2. Mostly a Surabaya court verdict over the 1950 'Koalas' boat theft; the Gerwani-relevant item is an Aneta note that the East Java Gerwis conference decided to send Mrs Tam, Sulami and Warmi to the Asian peace conference in Peking.
Java-Bode, 27 Aug 1952, p. 2: Miss Sulami, secretary of the Surabaya committee for victims of the August raids, says something is wrong with the arrestees' release, blames the Sukiman-Wibisono policy and RTC, and says the raids were a general attack on the anti-imperialist people.
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 1 Sep 1952, p. 1: the Surabaya Committee for Victims of the August Raids plans a mass demonstration on 7 Sept. Committee secretary Miss Sulami reports on meetings with PM Wilopo and the defence minister, blames the Sukiman-Wibisono policy and RTC, and notes 62 SOB detainees remain in Ea
De Nieuwsgier, 6 Dec 1952: representatives of 18 parties and organisations in Surabaya, under the PNI, urge the government to clarify whether the 17 October 1952 affair was a coup, to act against all involved and to implement the Sophiaan motion. Gerwis is among the listed attendees (with PKI, PNI, SOBSI, Murba, Wanita
CIA report, 23 February 1953, on a PKI Surabaya sub-section committees' meeting (Dec 1952) with directives on discipline, cadres and election preparation, including 'more support' for Gerwis. Shows Gerwis treated as a PKI-supported front.
Surabaya local-news column in De Vrije Pers (30 Jan 1953); only one item concerns Gerwis: its Surabaya branch announced a meeting on 1 Feb at the Kabupaten pendopo to explain the organisation's aims and the experiences of its delegation to Peking.
News roundup of Antara dispatches, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 18 Apr 1953, p. 4. Relevant: Maasje Siwi of Gerwis left Surabaya for Copenhagen for the WIDF conference; SOBSI and union leaders left for Peking; also 17 October affair follow-up and Chairul Saleh's expulsion from the Netherlands.
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra news-in-brief column 'De kleine wereld' (3 Jul 1953, p.4). Among items on a pharmacy strike, a journalist's film censored, a Guatemala explosion and Dusseldorf baby names, one notes that the Indonesian women's movement GERWIS urged the US government, via its Jakarta embassy, to guarantee the
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1953-08-25, p. 2): in Surabaya the trial of 42 students for wrecking the Vrije Pers offices opened; thousands of students and pupils demonstrated against the prosecution, joined, per Harian Umum, by Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI. Banners demanded a press law, abolition of Dutch-language use
De Nieuwsgier, 25 Aug 1953: in Surabaya the trial opens of 42 students over the April wrecking of De Vrije Pers; thousands of students and pupils demonstrated, with Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI also taking part, demanding dropped charges, a press law, abolition of Dutch-language use and limits on Dutch dailies. A US
Java-Bode, 25 August 1953, p. 2: report on the Surabaya trial of 42 students over the 16 April destruction of the Dutch paper Vrije Pers, and a mass demonstration against the prosecution. Per Harian Umum, Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI joined the demonstration, whose banners demanded a press law and curbs on Dutch-lan
Arnhemsche Courant, 26 Aug 1953: a small item says thousands of students and pupils, backed by the left-wing union SOBSI and Gerwis, demonstrated in Surabaya during the trial of 42 students over the wrecking of the Dutch-language daily De Vrije Pers, demanding dismissal of the case and curbs on the Dutch press. Rest of
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (26 Aug 1953, p.2): in Surabaya the trial began of 42 students accused of wrecking the Vrije Pers offices on 16 April; a demonstration by thousands of students and pupils against prosecution, reportedly also joined by Gerwis, Pemuda Rakjat and SOBSI, demanded a press law and curbs on Dutch-l
Short Het Rotterdamsch Parool item (26 Aug 1953, p.5): in Surabaya the trial of 42 students over the wrecking of the 'De Vrije Pers' offices; thousands of students and pupils demonstrated beforehand, supported by the leftist union SOBSI and Gerwis, 'a leftist women's organisation', demanding dismissal of charges and cu
Brief Nijmeegsch Dagblad note (26 Aug 1953) on the Surabaya trial of 42 students who wrecked the offices of the daily De Vrije Pers. Thousands of students and pupils demonstrated, supported by SOBSI and Gerwis, demanding dismissal of the case and restrictions on the Dutch press.
Provinciale Drentsche en Asser Courant (26 Aug 1953): Short item on the Surabaya trial of 42 students who wrecked the daily De Vrije Pers. Thousands demonstrated beforehand, backed by SOBSI and the women's organisation Gerwis, demanding dismissal of the case and curbs on the Dutch press.; thousands demonstrated beforeh
Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant, 26 Aug 1953. Brief wire item (26 Aug 1953) on the Surabaya trial of 42 students who wrecked the daily De Vrije Pers. Thousands demonstrated beforehand, backed by SOBSI and the women's organisation Gerwis, demanding dismissal of the case and curbs on the Dutch press.
CIA report, 6 May 1954: Trimurti and Dr Thung Sin Nio collecting funds to finance the Gerwis (now Gerwani) congress in Jakarta, 25-31 March 1954, including from Chinese-Indonesian donors. Evidence on congress financing and cross-community support.
De Waarheid, 23 Jan 1954, p. 6: Annie Averink's review of Joop Wolff's Pegasus book 'Uit het rijk der duizend eilanden', based on a trip to Indonesia after the SOBSI congress of late 1952, with colonial-contrast views of Jakarta and kampongs. It notes that Gerwis, which organises workers' and peasants' wives, leads wom
De Waarheid, 27 Jan 1954, p. 5: correspondent's Jakarta feature ahead of Gerwis's second congress (opening 26 March 1954), describing its literacy courses, hygiene campaigns, defence of women under customary law, wage struggles (Sampurna cigarette factory Surabaya, Kaliklatak coffee estate) with SARBUPRI, and the mass
De Waarheid, 14 Apr 1954, p. 5: report on NVB chair Rie Lips and British writer Monica Felton arriving in Jakarta for the second Gerwis congress, warmly welcomed. Lips described Dutch women's protests against the colonial wars and support for conscientious objectors. The opening reception was attended by Jakarta mayor
Tribune (Sydney), 12 May 1954, p. 11: Allison Dickie, Union of Australian Women delegate, reports on the 1954 Indonesian women's congress. She describes Gerwis, the league of women 'more politically awake', whose work helped hundreds of thousands become literate and from which Gerwani developed; the six-day Gerwani Nat
Tribune (Sydney), 12 May 1954, p. 11: Allison Dickie, Union of Australian Women delegate, reports on the 1954 Indonesian women's congress. She describes Gerwis, the league of women 'more politically awake', whose work helped hundreds of thousands become literate and from which Gerwani developed; the six-day Gerwani Nat
Api Kartini (mid-1961) report on the exhibition at Gerwani's 10th anniversary (from 5 June 1961), with an interview of chair Umi Sardjono on Gerwani's history. Founded 4 June 1951 (first congress Surabaya, 17-22 Dec 1951), 185 branches, membership from 6,000 to 710,000, 326 kindergartens, 23,000 election workers; six m
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
Saraswati Sunindyo's PhD dissertation (Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1993) is a feminist study of prostitution in Java based on 1987-88 fieldwork in three brothel resorts (Samas, Bandungan, Tretes), with life stories and a history of state policy. Gerwani appears mainly in Chapter 2 (pp. 29-39): it outlin
detikNews feature (2013) on Gerwis's founding on 4 June 1950 by six organisations (Rupindo, Persatuan Wanita Sedar, Istri Sedar, Gerwindo, Wanita Madura, PPRI) and founders Trimurti, Salawati Daud, Umi Sardjono, Tris Metty and Sri Panggihan, with I.G.A.A. Ratih. Concise account of origins.
Indonesian Wikipedia article (retrieved 13 Oct 2026) with a short institutional history of Gerwani: founding 4 June 1950 from six regional organisations, Tris Metty as first chair, membership growth to 3 million in 1965, PKI influence and dissolution on 12 March 1966. Encyclopedic summary.