Transcript of Conversation between Zhou Enlai, Deng Yingchao and Eugenie Cotton (WIDF), 23 May 1955
Wilson Center Digital Archive catalogue page (text only, no transcript) for the 23 May 1955 conversation between Zhou Enlai, Deng Yingchao and WIDF president Eugenie Cotton, from Zhou Enlai Waijiao wenxuan (1990), pp. 140-148. The abstract notes Cotton's pleasure with her China visit, her call to unite women's federati
Harian Rakjat, 26 May 1955, p. 1
Harian Rakjat, 26 Mei 1955, hlm. 1. Front page reporting the PKI's 35th-anniversary celebrations in Jakarta; Aidit's speech and greetings including from 'wanita' at home.
Harian Rakjat, 26 May 1955, p. 2
Harian Rakjat, 26 Mei 1955, hlm. 2. News page with an Antara report on the suffering of Indonesian women married to foreigners, as written by travelling youths from Afghanistan; no Gerwani item.
Harian Rakjat, 26 May 1955, p. 3
Harian Rakjat, 26 Mei 1955, hlm. 3. First instalment of D.N. Aidit's address 'Lahirnja PKI dan perkembangannja' at the PKI's 35th-anniversary reception; women and Gerwani have no place in the party's official history here.
Harian Rakjat, 27 May 1955, p. 1
Harian Rakjat, 27 Mei 1955, hlm. 1. Front page with PM Ali Sastroamidjojo in Canton and 'Wanita tani ditangkap': Subang peasant women arrested during a land reoccupation against the British estate P&T; richest page for Gerwani in the batch.
Harian Rakjat, 27 May 1955, p. 3
Harian Rakjat, 27 Mei 1955, hlm. 3. Concluding instalment of Aidit's 35th-anniversary address: 1945–48 errors, Madiun 1948 as a Hatta provocation, the 1951 Sukiman raids and the post-1951 line of national united front and party building.
Theft by Dutch imperialism: one cow per farmer per year (Aidit speaks in Bandung)
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1955-05-31, p. 2): PKI election rally at Tegallega, Bandung, with tens of thousands present. Candidates Eddy Abdurrachman and Mrs. Suwarti open, she stressing women's interests; D.N. Aidit criticises post-RTC governments and the Madiun executions of Musso and Sjarifuddin without trial. Archive
Other speakers at the PKI meeting: Umi Sardjono explains choosing PKI
De Nieuwsgier report (31 May 1955, p. 2) on a PKI anniversary/election rally in Jakarta where Aidit spoke. Mrs. Oemi Sartono (Umi Sardjono), described as a non-party Gerwani member, said she chose the PKI because it is a choice of being for or against the people; non-party candidate Astrawinata also spoke.
PKI is 35 years old
Java-Bode, 31 May 1955, p. 2: report on the PKI's 35th anniversary rally on Merdeka Square. D.N. Aidit urged the Dutch to leave and stressed Muslim-Nationalist-Communist unity; Umi Sardjono, Gerwani general chair, spoke sharply against surviving feudalism and large landownership; judge Astrawinata explained his PKI can
The Ali cabinet: PKI mass meeting with Umi Sardjono
De Locomotief, 1 June 1955: report of a PKI mass meeting in Jakarta where Aidit backs the Ali cabinet and urges peaceful election campaigning. Mrs Umi Sardjono, introduced as a non-party Gerwani member and PKI candidate, says she chose the PKI because it is a choice of being for or against the people. Date: the party's
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
The PKI is 35 years old
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 8 Jun 1955, p. 2: report on the PKI's 35th-anniversary rally at Merdeka Square, Jakarta. Umi Sardjono, general chairwoman of Gerwani, attacks feudalism and large landownership; Aidit speaks on Muslim-nationalist-communist unity and Dutch profits, with slogans against Dutch and landlords
Wanita Demokrat Indonesia, Semarang: new board and kindergarten
De Locomotief, 9 June 1955: the Semarang branch of Wanita Demokrat Indonesia forms a new board (names garbled; a Soetanti and Sri Soetanti appear) and will again open a Froebel kindergarten on Jalan Karangtempel. Gerwani is not mentioned; the Soetanti here is not identified as Soetanti Aidit.
Pravda, 4 Jul 1955: World Congress of Mothers; the situation in Indonesia
Pravda, 4 July 1955 (selected pages 1, 3, 4). Page 3: WIDF deputy secretary Z. Ivanova on preparations for the World Congress of Mothers (Lausanne, 7-10 July); says WIDF established cooperation in Indonesia with 'the numerous women's organization Gerwani' and the plantation workers' union, and that Indonesia's committe
Pravda, 4 Jul 1955: Gerwani named in article on World Congress of Mothers (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, 4 July 1955, from the article on preparing the World Congress of Mothers (Lausanne). Records that WIDF organisations established cooperation in Indonesia with 'the numerous women's organization Gerwani' and the plantation workers' union, alongside links in Australia, New Zealand, Norway,
Harian Rakjat, 27 July 1955, p. 4
Harian Rakjat, 27 Juli 1955, hlm. 4. Page 4 of the paper before the 1955 election: SOBSI sugar workers' delegation, an Indian globe-trotter, news items; no Gerwani content.
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: government crisis in Indonesia; telegrams from Gerwani
Pravda, 5 August 1955, No. 217, page 6, supplied as a Claude machine translation of the Indonesia item. A TASS dispatch from Jakarta on the cabinet crisis (Harahap of Masjumi asked to form a government) says Harian Rakjat printed dozens of telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, the women's organisation Gerwani and Pemuda Rakjat in
Pravda, 5 Aug 1955: Gerwani telegram in Indonesian cabinet crisis (excerpt)
Keyword-hit excerpt of Pravda, 5 Aug 1955 (TASS, Jakarta) on the cabinet crisis after Masjumi's Burhanuddin Harahap was asked to form a government. Harian Rakjat published telegrams from SOBSI, BTI, Gerwani, Pemuda Rakjat and others demanding a truly democratic government, opposing a Masjumi cabinet and 'a military dic
Straits Times, 8 Aug 1955: the Reds have organised for victory in Indonesian polls (van der Poel)
Straits Times, 8 Aug 1955, by P. A. van der Poel (lead only). Describes how the Communist organisation is preparing for the 1955 Indonesian elections, winning support through sport, religion and an appeal to 'non-party' people. Matched on Umi Sardjono; lead does not name her.
1945 - 17 August - 1955: Maisuri sets the example
De Waarheid, 10 Aug 1955, p. 5: illustrated story marking ten years of the Republic about Maisuri, a 17-year-old from Talang-Dukun, South Sumatra, sold by her parents to a landlord as fourth wife, who fled and married her chosen partner, was jailed for 'adultery' and freed after her mother turned to a Gerwani officer a
Against the composition of the new cabinet: Semarang meeting rejects Burhanuddin cabinet
De Locomotief, 12 Aug 1955: a Semarang provincial meeting of mass and women's organisations rejects the new Burhanuddin cabinet and demands an all-party cabinet and elections on schedule. A five-person delegation to Jakarta represents workers (SOBSI), youth, women (Gerwani), peasants and ex-fighters. Shows Gerwani as t
Solidarity with strikers at Public Works
Brief Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1955-08-13, p. 2): during the Public Works workers' strike, the women's organisation Gerwani declared solidarity with the strikers, as did the metalworkers' union SBIM and the SOBSI branch in Bandung.
Advertisement: ten years of the Indonesian Republic (De Waarheid issue)
De Waarheid, 17 Aug 1955, p. 1: newspaper house advertisement for the day's issue marking ten years of the Indonesian Republic, pointing readers to the poem 'Vrijheid' by Sugiarti Siswadi on p. 1 and an article by Cor Geugjes on p. 3. The item contains no text on Gerwani itself.
Ten years of the Republic (Cor Geugjes)
De Waarheid, 17 Aug 1955, p. 3: Cor Geugjes's article for the Republic's tenth anniversary, covering Dutch colonial violence, the Bandung Conference, the Ali Sastroamidjojo government's fall and replacement by a Masjumi-PSI cabinet under Harahap, and the PKI's election platform. It lists Gerwani only as 'the strong wom
Freedom: poem by Sugiarti Siswadi for the Republic's tenth anniversary
De Waarheid, 17 Aug 1955, p. 1: Dutch-language poem 'Vrijheid' (Freedom) attributed to Sugiarti Siswadi, published for the tenth anniversary of Indonesian independence. It evokes freedom as sowing seed on one's own land, a full granary and children returning home. No mention of Gerwani.
Anything was allowed because it was so warm: commemoration of ten-year Indonesian Republic
Het Parool page item (26 Aug 1955) combining a report on an Amsterdam evening commemorating ten years of the Indonesian Republic, chaired by Prof. Wertheim (committee includes Ch. Caropeboka; speakers Berg, Romein, Geugjes and Indonesian chargé Sjarif), and unrelated heatwave photo captions. Five principles include neg
Harian Rakjat, 31 August 1955, p. 4
Harian Rakjat, 31 Agustus 1955, hlm. 4. Advertisement and notice page with an election comic strip; panel 6 shows Aminah meeting Gerwani activists who organise women's teams for childcare, drinks and medical help at polling.
S. Hadikusumo: Indonesia is ready for the elections
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (5 Sep 1955, p.1): S. Hadikusumo, head of the central election committee, says all regions except unrest areas (Aceh, South Sulawesi) are ready for the 29 September 1955 parliamentary elections. Gerwani urged its members to help ensure elections are held on time because they will express wom
Harian Rakjat, 5 September 1955, p. 4
Harian Rakjat, 5 September 1955, hlm. 4. Advertisement page with a Jajasan Pembaruan offer to sell PKI literature at the 'Pesta Rakjat' and a list of 31 titles; no Gerwani item.
Childcare centre planned for election day by Gerwani in Jombang
De Locomotief, 7 Sept 1955: the Gerwani branch in Jombang forms a committee, led by a Mrs Kenrati (uncertain), to set up a children's care centre during the coming general elections so mothers can vote calmly. Evidence of Gerwani's practical electoral support for women and childcare.