Gerwani and painless childbirth
Short item, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 4 Feb 1956, p. 3: the Gerwani central board writes to the government welcoming Pope Pius XII's acceptance of painless childbirth, praising its Soviet discoverer Pavlov, and asking that Indonesian scientists be enabled to learn the method for mass application.
Dulles on Trip to Indonesia (Toowoomba Chronicle, 13 March 1956)
Toowoomba Chronicle, 13 Mar 1956, p. 3 (AAP-Reuters): US Secretary of State Dulles visits Jakarta after the SEATO conference; demonstrators shout 'Abolish SEATO' and 'We want peace, not war'. A young girl arrested for throwing a pamphlet says she is a Gerwani member; Gerwani had earlier protested the visit.
Dulles on Trip to Indonesia (Toowoomba Chronicle, 13 March 1956), duplicate
Toowoomba Chronicle, 13 Mar 1956, p. 3 (AAP-Reuters): US Secretary of State Dulles visits Jakarta after the SEATO conference; demonstrators shout 'Abolish SEATO' and 'We want peace, not war'. A young girl arrested for throwing a pamphlet says she is a Gerwani member; Gerwani had earlier protested the visit.
Dulles in Djakarta: 'Our joint effort will one day lead to a better world'
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-03-13, p. 1): US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles arrives in Jakarta; a score of demonstrators shout 'Hapuskan SEATO'. A 25-year-old woman, Samsia, a member of Gerwani ('a communist-minded women's organisation'), threw a red anti-SEATO pamphlet into his car and was arrested for quest
Gerwani's objections
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-03-13, p. 1): the Gerwani central board issues a statement objecting to John Foster Dulles's visit, his interference and his push for Indonesia to join SEATO, which it says contradicts the Bandung (Afro-Asian) Conference decisions on peace and friendship.
America offers Jakarta economic aid - Dulles in Indonesia
Arnhemsche Courant, 13 Mar 1956 (UP-Reuters): John Foster Dulles visits Sukarno in Jakarta and informally offers economic aid. A young woman of Gerwani among about two dozen protesters shouting 'Abolish SEATO' threw a piece of paper at his car and was detained for questioning.
Appreciation from Gerwani
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-03-28, p. 2): Gerwani's West Java branch publishes an open letter praising the police over the Tengku Angkasa affair, but argues prostitution persists while foreign capital controls resources and prices rise. It urges police to support the people's struggle against foreign capital and for
Mrs Salawati (PKI) in parliament criticises the cabinet
Two-sentence De Nieuwsgier parliamentary note (13 Apr 1956): Mrs. Ch. Salawati (PKI) criticised the cabinet's composition and Prime Minister Burhanuddin Harahap's attempt at compromise with the armed bands on security.
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-04-17, p. 2): Umi Sardjono, MP of the Pembangun faction, speaks in parliament on the lot of Indonesian women, who lack marriage legislation protection, and appeals for national marriage legislation in the short term.
Dr Ali Akbar in parliament responds to PKI cooperation call
De Nieuwsgier parliamentary note (17 Apr 1956): Masjumi's Ali Akbar said PKI member Loekman's call for cooperation interested his faction, but the optimism evaporated because of attacks by Mrs. Salawati of the PKI faction. Salawati (Daud) appears only as the cause of friction.
Mrs Umi Sardjono in parliament pleads for national marriage legislation
Short De Nieuwsgier parliamentary note (17 Apr 1956): Umi Sardjono (listed as Pembangunan faction) spoke on the fate of Indonesian women, still unprotected by marriage legislation, and pleaded for national marriage legislation.
PNI standpoint
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-04-18, p. 2): PNI West Java secretary Rivai explains the party's rejection of the Sundanese Youth Front and its support for regional autonomy within a unitary state. Illustrates daerah representation by noting Mrs. Ch. Salawati (PKI) from Sulawesi raised the security problem in the parlia
Kartini committee in Rangkasbitung
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-04-20, p. 2): in Rangkasbitung a Kartini committee is formed with Hartati (Gerwani) as chairwoman and all women's organisations taking part; Kartini Day events from 21 April include a health campaign and a commemoration speech. A second item reports a school and meeting hall built by comm
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-04-20, p. 3): Mrs. Umi Sardjono (Pembangunan faction) again raises marriage in parliament, hoping for a legal marriage regulation soon and a closer study of adat law in the various regions of Indonesia.
BP4 congress
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-06-21, p. 2): the BP4 (marriage-counselling body) will hold its first Indonesian congress in August. Gerwani had applied some time earlier for BP4 membership without a decision; nineteen organisations are affiliated so far.
The committee
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-08-06, p. 2): composition of the Bandung 17 August committee, chaired by the mayor, with vice-chairs from Masyumi, PNI, PKI and NU. Treasurers are Mrs. Kamarga (Perwari), Mrs. S. Sriwenda (Parkiwa) and one more Gerwani member still to be named. Also a basketball tournament anno
Installation of transitional council
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1956-09-13, p. 2): installation of Bandung's transitional municipal council by Governor Sanusi Hardjadinata. A photo caption lists members, including Mrs. Rd. Moesmini of Gerwani, Miss Sari Banon Jachja (NU) and Mrs. Amartiwi Moh. Saleh (PSI); the council serves one year.
Statements
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-11-12, p. 2): a campaign of protest statements and telegrams against the British-French and Israeli attack on Egypt (Suez) is sent to the Indonesian government and British and French embassies by SOBSI, Sarbupri, Lekra West Java, Gerwani, OBSI Sumatra, KBKI Bandung, SBII and Pe
Election committee
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item (1956-11-20, p. 2): the Constituent Assembly forms a five-member committee to arrange the election of its chairman: Slamet (PNI), Ali Imbido (NU), Muh. Hidajat (Masyumi), Mayrengsay (Partai Katolik) and Mrs. Suwarti (PKI), identified in the archive as Suwarti Bintang Suradi.
Parliament discusses the 1956 budget
De Nieuwsgier report (23 Nov 1956) on the parliamentary general debate on the 1956 budget with 19 speakers. Mrs. Umi Sardjono (Pembangunan) opposed reducing the deficit through higher taxes, which raise prices of necessities, urged that foreign companies and capitalists close the gap, and asked for a separate budget fo
Constitution 1945
Short Algemeen Indisch Dagblad item 'Constitutie 1945' (1957-01-02): the Constituent Assembly secretariat received statements from Semarang youth, individuals, Gerwani Tasikmalaya, Sebda and Ex-TP Solo, all wanting the constitution grounded in the spirit of the 1945 Proclamation and Pancasila.
Exposition of Asian fashion
Java-Bode, 8 February 1957, p. 2: report on an exposition of national costumes and music by Pan-Pacific and Southeast Asian women's organisations at the Plaza Hotel, New York; Indonesian participants included Sukanti Surjotjondro, Nelly Kawilarang and Sulami Sujud. A second snippet about a clandestine bank on Bangka is
'One-man factions' in parliament disappointed
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad political roundup (1957-03-02, p. 2) on Sukarno's 'conception' of gotong-royong cabinet: one-man MP factions complain of exclusion, Nasution meets Sukarno, PNI Surabaya rallies, Natsir attacks the plan. An 'Adhesion' item says declarations of support came from the youth council DPI, Gerwani Ban
'The fathers are not pure': Mrs Fatmawati Sukarno: 'Let me form a cabinet'
Dagblad voor Noord-Limburg, 30 Mar 1957: Fatmawati, Sukarno's first wife, who left the palace after his 1954 marriage to Hartini 'to the great indignation of the Indonesian women's organisation', proposes in an open letter that a non-party woman form the new cabinet ('the fathers are not pure'). Page also covers anti-c
Accounting of inventory by Dr Hatta already handed over
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1957-04-06, p. 2): after press reports that Hatta had not accounted for the Fonds Kemerdekaan Indonesia, Hatta's secretary and fund chair Sumanang explain the fund's gold and silver jewellery was handed to the Fonds Nasional and partly used for guerrilla financing in 1948-49. Sumanang says S.K
Talk on Indonesian Women for N.C.W. (Canberra Times, 7 May 1957)
Canberra Times 'What People Are Doing' social column, 7 May 1957, p. 5. Only Gerwani-adjacent item: Mrs Urbani, wife of an Indonesian Embassy first secretary, will address the Canberra branch of the National Council of Women on 'Women in Indonesia'. Rest is unrelated local notices.
45 members in total: National Council definitively formed by president and cabinet
Algemeen Indisch Dagblad (1957-06-15, p. 1): announcement of the 45-member National Council (Dewan Nasional) under Sukarno, with Roeslan Abdulgani as vice-chair and secretary-general. Functional-group seats include workers (SOBSI's Munir), youth (Sujono Atmo, PKI) and women's organisations: Mrs. S.K. Trimurti and Mrs.
Composition of national council completed (Sukarno chair)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (15 Jun 1957, p.1): the 45-member National Council is announced, chaired by Sukarno with Roeslan Abdulgani as vice-chair. Members include Munir (SOBSI workers), Sardjono (peasants), Henk Ngantung (artists), and S.K. Trimurti and Rasuna Said for the women's movements; Mrs Towoliu represents C
Jakarta sets up National Council: Sukarno names members (New York Times, 16 June 1957)
New York Times, 16 June 1957, p.37, Special to the Times from Jakarta: Sukarno names the 45 members of the new National Council (Dewan Nasional), chaired by himself, with Roeslan Abdulgani as deputy chairman and secretary-general. About a quarter are described as Communists or sympathisers, including PKI member Sujono
Parliament fairly sympathetic to emergency law
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (19 Jun 1957, p.1): parliamentary debate on the state-of-emergency bill replacing the colonial SOB regime. Speakers (Munir/PNI, Tambunan, Soeprapto, Amin Iskandar, Arudji Kartawinata) mostly accept it. Mrs Salawati Daud (PKI) stresses her faction's view that the law must primarily protect th