International Women's Day
Java-Bode, 9 March 1954, p. 2: report on the International Women's Day commemoration in Jakarta attended by Rasuna Said, Dr Thung Sun Nio and Gerwis central board members. Chair Mrs Effendie listed Indonesian women's grievances: price rises, no democratic marriage law or labour law for women, maternal and infant mortal
International Women's Day in Salatiga, 1954
De Locomotief, 11 Mar 1954: Salatiga's federation of women's associations marks International Women's Day on 8 March; a Gerwis representative explains the day's origin, followed by a talk on baby care, a health-service film and children's dances. Shows Gerwis giving the political history of the day within a mixed local
International Women's Day (1954)
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 17 Mar 1954, p. 2: International Women's Day meeting in Jakarta attended by MP Rasuna Said, Dr Thung Sin Nio and Gerwis central board members. Chair Mrs Effendie lists price rises, no democratic marriage law, no women's labour law, divorce, polygamy and maternal deaths; Rasuna Said pled
Public Masyumi meeting: 'Quran doctrines must be basis of our state'
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1954-03-29, p. 2): report of a public Masyumi meeting in Bandung. Mrs. Ijom Suleiman argues Islam gives women equal rights and duties; Masyumi West Java secretary Rusjad Nurdin rejects PKI claims that Masyumi are American compradors and urges Muslims never to join the PKI or organisations it i
Good relations with Netherlands only after return of Irian (Gerwani received by Sukarno)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (5 Apr 1954, p.1): President and Mrs Sukarno received Gerwani members (the former Gerwis) after their five-day Jakarta congress. Sukarno said a just state cannot be achieved by one sex alone. Dutch communist MP Rie Lips-Odinot, who attended, voiced Dutch sympathy; Sukarno replied that good r
President receives Gerwani: 'Men and women must build the state together'
Java-Bode, 5 April 1954, p. 2: President Sukarno and his wife received Gerwani (formerly Gerwis) members at the end of their five-day Jakarta congress. Sukarno said the just and prosperous state cannot be built by one sex alone, and that women's problems are solved not by equal rights alone but by that state, which men
Istanboul: Indonesian women are bustling (Sukarno's second marriage)
Istanbul newspaper Istanboul (19 Sep 1954, p.3): a short Jakarta dispatch 'Les femmes indonésiennes se démènent' (Indonesian women are bustling) says rumours about Sukarno's second marriage are exaggerated per a committee formed to safeguard his reputation, while Indonesian women attach great importance to the marriage
Istanboul: Indonesian women are bustling (Sukarno's second marriage; extract)
Istanboul (19 Sep 1954, p.3), snippet extract: Jakarta dispatch saying rumours about Sukarno's second marriage are exaggerated, and that Indonesian women attach great importance to the marriage since it could decide their future status.
What others write
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad press review (1954-09-20, p. 2): Jakarta papers commemorate the 1948 Madiun revolt as a communist plot; Medan papers criticise the information minister; and Malay and Philippine women and press react to Sukarno's second marriage, with Malay Ibu Kaum leaders saying Muslim public figures should n
Goor: women's delegation with Sukarno (page)
Twentsch Dagblad Tubantia (20 Sep 1954), local page 'Goor' with a short item: a delegation of Indonesian women that met over Sukarno's marriage to Mrs Suwondo visited the president without public statements. Reports the divided Indonesian press and Suara Rakyat's lament. Other page items unrelated; Gerwani not named.
Marriage Stir in Indonesia (Sydney Morning Herald, 21 September 1954)
Sydney Morning Herald, 21 Sep 1954, p. 1 (AAP-Reuter): a deputation from 30 Indonesian women's organisations, headed by Mrs Katowijono of Perwani, protested to Sukarno over his marriage to a second wife, Mrs Suwondo, without the first wife's consent. Press debate; women leaders say it dealt the women's movement a bad b
Sukarno's second marriage
Dutch newspaper roundup (1954-09-21, p. 9) of Indonesian press reactions to President Sukarno's second marriage (to Mrs. Soewondo), called a serious blow to the women's movement. A delegation of women led by Perwari chair Mrs. Kortowijono visited the palace. Press is split; Indonesia Raya stresses women's long fight ov
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 fought ten years for their rights
Libération, Paris (21 Sep 1954, p.6), badly garbled page with a column '...et les femmes!': after Sukarno's second marriage to a divorcee, a feminist organisation says his private life cannot be separated from the presidency, and that Indonesian women fought ten years for their rights so the marriage is a heavy blow. N
Indonesian women and Sukarno's second marriage
Libération, Paris (21 Sep 1954, p.6), snippet extract: four representatives of Indonesia's women's leagues were received by Sukarno to ask why he took a second wife; 'Indonesian women have fought for ten years for their rights, and the President's second marriage has been a heavy blow for us.'
Indonesian delegations in China, including a women's delegation
Short De Nieuwsgier report (30 Sept 1954, p. 2) on the arrival in Peking of an Indonesian delegation and a separate women's delegation, invited by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the All-China Democratic Women's Federation. Mrs. S. Pudjobuntoro spoke for the women's delegation; Gerwani is not name
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
Indonesian women rise up against Sukarno's second marriage (extract)
Le Lorrain (30 Sep 1954, p.10), snippet extract: Indonesian women rise up against Sukarno's second marriage; recalls his secret June marriage to Hartini Suwondo, a 31-year-old divorcee and mother of five.
Indonesian delegation in China (women's delegation to Beijing, 1954)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (1 Oct 1954, p.1): Aneta reports that an Indonesian delegation (led by Mr Sumanang) and a separate Indonesian women's delegation arrived in Beijing on 24 and 26 September, hosted by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs and the Women's Federation of China. Mrs S. Pudjobuntoro spe
Parliament on Sukarno's second marriage
Het Parool report (6 Oct 1954, p.108): parliament asks the government to clarify its stand on President Sukarno's second marriage, as the controversy causes the first rift in the year-old PNI-PKI coalition. A woman MP of the socialist fraction submitted the request, and parliament received a petition from women's movem
Sukarno's marriage
Tubantia/Twentsch Dagblad brief (7 Oct 1954): the Indonesian parliament asks the government's view on Sukarno's second marriage and, with communists voting against, agrees to consider a women's movement petition to deprive Muslim men of the right to marry more than one wife. Relevant to the polygamy campaign Gerwani an
Sukarno, polygamy and Indonesian women
Point de vue (14 Oct 1954, p.9), '7 jours du monde' column: a three-sentence note that Sukarno has two wives and many troubles after marrying Mrs Suwondo (Hartini), whose husband divorced over her relations with the president; Indonesian women disapprove and launched a violent press campaign. Gerwani not named. Other c
Sukarno, polygamy and Indonesian women (extract)
Point de vue (14 Oct 1954, p.9), snippet extract: Sukarno, president of the young Indonesian Republic, has two wives and many troubles; the Koran allows polygamy but Indonesian women view it with disfavour; he is the only polygamous Indonesian leader.
The situation in Aceh; Gerwani Lampung anti-pornography resolution
De Nieuwsgier news roundup (15 Nov 1954, p. 2) mostly on Aceh security incidents. One item reports that Gerwani of Lampung, at its first congress in Tanjung Karang, resolved to ask the government to ban pornographic reading matter, indecent advertisements and films, and urged other women's and democratic organisations
Gerwani of Lampung: first congress, resolution against pornography
De Locomotief, 16 Nov 1954: a one-line item that Gerwani of Lampung, at its first congress at Tanjungkarang, decided to submit to the government a resolution requesting a ban and confiscation of pornographic reading matter and improper newspaper and film advertisements. Other items (Stork-Werkspoor orders, Tokyo, Phili
From parliament: legal position of members must be regulated
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (25 Nov 1954, p.2): parliamentary report on the bill on legal position of MPs. Mrs Moedigdio (Mudigdio) of the PKI objected to its content and argued parliamentary immunity is an aim of the democratic system that must be well maintained; other speakers include Murba, Progressive, PNI and Mas
Gerwani congress: forced marriages must be abolished in modern Indonesia
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1954-11-30, p. 2): two-day congress of Gerwani's Bandung branch ('formerly Gerwis') sends sympathy to Maisoeri, a sixteen-year-old in South Sumatra jailed for refusing a forced marriage to a sixty-year-old, and calls for abolishing forced marriages. It also demands bans on 'modern dances' and
In brief: Gerwani Bandung congress sends sympathy to Maisuri
Column of short news items in De Vrije Pers (30 Nov 1954). Relevant item: a two-day Gerwani congress of the Bandung branch decided to send a message of sympathy to Maisuri, a young woman in South Sumatra who suffered a "forced marriage". Other items are unrelated world news.