Mrs. Roosevelt did not agree
Arnhemsche Courant, 27 May 1952: a short item reports Eleanor Roosevelt's reply, during her Jakarta visit, to a letter from Gerwis. She rejected its claims that the UN used bacteriological weapons in Korea and suppressed peoples, and denied the US drove a million Arabs from their homes. Shows Gerwis's Cold War peace st
Mrs Roosevelt disagrees
Short Nijmeegsch Dagblad item (27 May 1952): Eleanor Roosevelt, during a visit to Jakarta, replies to a letter from Gerwis, rejecting its claim that the UN used bacteriological weapons in Korea and that the UN suppressed peoples' freedom. She admits a struggle against communist-influenced organisations. Evidence of Ger
Mrs Roosevelt replies to Gerwis
Trouw (27 May 1952): Eleanor Roosevelt, visiting Jakarta, answers a letter from Gerwis, rejecting its claims that the UN used germ weapons in Korea or suppressed peoples' freedom, and rejecting claims about expelled Arabs. She admits a fight against communist-influenced organisations. Shows Gerwis's peace and anti-impe
Delegates arrive in Beijing for Asia-Pacific peace conference preparatory meeting, incl. Gerwis chair
Xinhua report in Renmin Ribao, 30 May 1952 (p. 1), listing delegates from fifteen countries arriving in Beijing for the preparatory meeting of the Asian and Pacific Regional Peace Conference. The Indonesian group is Suwati (Suwarti), deputy chief delegate, MP and chairman of Gerwis; Hartoyo of the Peasants' United Fron
Delegates arrive in Beijing for Asia-Pacific peace conference preparatory meeting, incl. Gerwis chair
Xinhua report in Renmin Ribao, 30 May 1952 (p. 1), listing delegates from fifteen countries arriving in Beijing for the preparatory meeting of the Asian and Pacific Regional Peace Conference. The Indonesian group is Suwati (Suwarti), deputy chief delegate, MP and chairman of Gerwis; Hartoyo of the Peasants' United Fron
FBIS, 31 May 1952: Vienna delegates speak
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (31 May 1952) on a Peking meeting for International Children's Day welcoming delegates returning from the Vienna children's conference. Mme Suwarti of Indonesia described the miserable life of Indonesian people and children under American imperialist exploitation and praised New China's car
FBIS, 3 June 1952: Children's Day statement (Gerwis-sponsored committee)
Brief FBIS item (3 Jun 1952): the committee for observing International Children's Day, formed under the auspices of Gerwis (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia Sedar), issued a statement appealing for attention to children's future worldwide and in Indonesia, warning that war such as in Korea endangers children's physical and me
FBIS, 3 June 1952: Details of meeting - preparatory meeting for the Asian and Pacific Peace Conference, Peking
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (3 Jun 1952) on the opening of the preparatory meeting for the Asia-Pacific Peace Conference, Peking: 49 delegates from 19 countries. The Indonesian delegation is Suwarti (Gerwis president), Suroso and Surjonegoro; Suwarti is on the presidium and the manifesto drafting commission, and Indon
Harian Rakjat, 26 June 1952: Fanggidaej in nine-organisation delegation; Gerwis Semarang Froebel school
Harian Rakjat, Jakarta, 26 June 1952 (full issue; p. 1 relevant). Francisca Fanggidaej speaks to the paper as one of 17 members of a delegation of nine organisations (peace committee, workers, students, women's, youth and ex-combatant groups) concerning protests over the Korean war and germ warfare. Also a report that
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
Indonesia shows solidarity with fighting Korea
De Waarheid, 3 Jul 1952, p. 5: dispatch on Indonesian solidarity with Korea on the war's second anniversary. A 17-person delegation of the Indonesian Peace Committee, including Francisca Fanggidaej, visited the US embassy in Jakarta to protest killings of women and children; Ambassador Cochran refused to receive them,
FBIS, 11 October 1952: United States indicted for germ war (Asian and Pacific Peace Conference, Peking)
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (11 Oct 1952) on a session of the Asian and Pacific Peace Conference in Peking: Dr Chen Wen-kuei's indictment of US bacteriological warfare, then speeches by delegates from India, New Zealand, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, Chile, Vietnam. Umi Sardjono, a woman delegate from Indonesia, said Indone
As One! For Equality, For Happiness, For Peace: World Congress of Women, Copenhagen 1953
Report volume (WIDF, Berlin, 1953) on the World Congress of Women, Copenhagen, 5-10 June 1953: reports, speeches, documents, resolutions and the officers elected. Gerwani and Gerwis are not named. Indonesia appears in the congress report (p. 4), which says its 10 delegates and observers came from six organisations, one
FBIS, 4 March 1953: Labor Party cites women's efforts (Korean Workers' Party decision for International Women's Day)
FBIS-monitored Pyongyang radio text (4 Mar 1953) of a Korean Workers' Party Central Committee decision for International Women's Day: praises Korean women in the war, calls for wartime production and vigilance. One line lists the 'awakened democratic women of India, Indonesia' and others in the WIDF-led struggle (WIDF
Australian women tell about World Congress
Tribune (Sydney), 14 Oct 1953, p. 6: three Australian delegates (Flo Davis, Joyce Egan, Fuchsia Lewin) describe the WIDF World Congress of Women, Copenhagen, June 1953 (1,187 women, 70 countries). They stress peace, equal pay and socialist-bloc childcare. Indonesia appears briefly: Indonesian women urge support for a K
Australian women tell about World Congress
Tribune (Sydney), 14 Oct 1953, p. 6: three Australian delegates (Flo Davis, Joyce Egan, Fuchsia Lewin) describe the WIDF World Congress of Women, Copenhagen, June 1953 (1,187 women, 70 countries). They stress peace, equal pay and socialist-bloc childcare. Indonesia appears briefly: Indonesian women urge support for a K
Lilly Wachter portrait: West German delegate at the Dutch Women's Movement congress
De Waarheid, 19 Mar 1956, p. 3: profile of Lilly Wachter (West Germany), attending the NVB congress for the WIDF. Recalls the 1951 WIDF commission to Korea, in which Trees Sunito-Heyligers represented the NVB, and how Wachter was jailed 25 days and fined 12,000 marks after signing its report blaming US forces. Sunito a
FBIS Daily Report, 26 July 1962: Gerwani protest against US aggression in South Vietnam (Hanoi VNA)
FBIS Daily Report (26 Jul 1962), HathiTrust scan pp.235-236: North Vietnam section carrying a Korean message of solidarity, a Moscow resolution on the Geneva anniversary, and VNA's 25 July item that Gerwani and the Union of Australian Women sent messages to the Vietnam Women's Union. Gerwani protests US aggression and
FBIS, 18 July 1963: Delegation to women's congress welcomed (Peking rally)
FBIS-monitored Xinhua report (18 Jul 1963): a 10,000-strong Peking rally welcomed the Chinese delegation back from the Moscow World Congress of Women. Yang Yun-yu's report attacked Soviet delegation leader Popova and WIDF leaders for 'sectarianism, splittism and big-power chauvinism', calling the congress 'undemocratic
FBIS-monitored KCNA report (24 Jul 1963): Pyongyang meeting welcoming the Indonesian women's delegation led by Mudikdio (Mudigdio), vice chairman of the Gerwani committee and MP. Kim Ok-sun praised the PKI as vanguard of anti-imperialist struggle; Mudigdio said emancipation without revolutionary struggle against coloni
Forward to Total Integration of Gerwani with Farm-Labourer and Poor Peasant Women (Umi Sardjono's General Report, 1964)
Umi Sardjono's General Report as DPP Gerwani chair to the 3rd DPP Plenary (Bandung, early 1964; transcribed by Nathanael Pribady). Reviews 1963: Irian Barat, 'Crush Malaysia' confrontation, the 26 May economic regulations, 1,378 TK Melati kindergartens, the WIDF Moscow Congress (Gerwani rejected the programme, attacked
Renmin Ribao, 9 Nov 1964: Aidit at Gerwani's housewives' seminar says united peoples can defeat US imperialism
People's Daily, 9 Nov 1964, p. 3, a round-up on the Bien Hoa victory in South Vietnam. The retrieved excerpt reports that D.N. Aidit, speaking at a seminar on housewives' problems organised by the Indonesian Women's Movement Association (Gerwani), said united peoples can defeat US imperialism, and mentioned the new Ind
Renmin Ribao, 9 Nov 1964: Aidit at Gerwani's housewives' seminar says united peoples can defeat US imperialism
People's Daily, 9 Nov 1964, p. 3, a round-up on the Bien Hoa victory in South Vietnam. The retrieved excerpt reports that D.N. Aidit, speaking at a seminar on housewives' problems organised by the Indonesian Women's Movement Association (Gerwani), said united peoples can defeat US imperialism, and mentioned the new Ind
Our Road: reports from many countries (WIDF, 1965), incl. Gerwani for Peasant Women
WIDF magazine 1965 'Our Road' news page (mid-1965), with reports on North and South Korean women, West German women against Emergency Laws, and Argentina/India/US actions. A 'GERWANI for Peasant Women' item says Gerwani's International Women's Day statement backed peasants' demands for the Basic Agrarian Law and Crop S
FBIS-monitored VNA Domestic Service text (6 Apr 1965) on tens of thousands of Korean, Indonesian, Venezuelan, Indian and Japanese volunteers for South Vietnam. Key Indonesian item: on 4 April about 100 women volunteers led by Mrs Umi Sardjono, president of the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani), went to the DRV Emba
Neue Zeit, 27 Nov 1965, p. 4: Strength lies in unity: twenty years of the Women's International Democratic Federation
Neue Zeit, 27 November 1965, p. 4 (women's page): 'Die Kraft liegt in der Einigkeit', a history of 20 years of the WIDF (IDFF). Indonesia appears once, in a list of imperialist armed aggressions (Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaya, Korea) against which the WIDF organised protests. The article also stresses the DFD's role and I
Potsdam (on the division of Korea)
De Waarheid piece (17 Jun 1985, p.5) on the origin of Korea's division at the 38th parallel after Potsdam and the Korean War. It recalls CPN opposition to Dutch participation and quotes Trees Sunito-Heyligers, who visited Korea in 1951 with a twenty-woman international delegation and wrote 'Wij beschuldigen'. No Indone
The WIDF: History, Main Agenda, and Contributions, 1945-1991 (de Haan, c.2012)
Overview essay by Francisca de Haan (Women and Social Movements International database, c. 2012) on WIDF's origins, agenda, UN role and Cold War marginalisation, 1945-1991. Gerwani is listed once as a large, influential WIDF member organisation (with footnotes to Wieringa and to McGregor on Indonesian women and WIDF);