Monica Felton (WIDF Vice-President) writes in 1954 on the Second Congress of Gerwani, which she attended: 349 delegates, 80,000 members, a meeting with President Sukarno, resolutions on West Irian, the 1955 elections, a nationwide marriage law, democratic rights and support for the government against armed gangs. She s
Simone Bertrand, WIDF Assistant General Secretary, reports in 1955 on the Fifth WIDF Council meeting in Geneva (45 countries). She cites GERWANI as a remarkable example: mostly peasant and plantation women, membership up from 80,000 to 281,000 in a year, and with nine organisations it formed a committee opposing a US b
1955 WIDF magazine feature 'For Friendship' with statements by Anusuya Gyanchand (India), Utami Suryadarma (Indonesia) and Che Zahara (Malaya) for the World Congress of Mothers. Suryadarma, a vice-president of the Preparatory Committee and of the Foundation for the Well-being of Indonesian Children, links Bandung to pe
Renmin Ribao, 23 Dec 1957, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Sukarno receives WIDF vice-president Maria Maddalena Rossi, invited to Gerwani's Third National Congress, and says two billion people back Indonesia on West Irian; second item reports Djuanda placing the West Irian struggle under the National Security Council and the D
Renmin Ribao, 23 Dec 1957, p. 6 (Xinhua, Jakarta): Sukarno receives WIDF vice-president Maria Maddalena Rossi, invited to Gerwani's Third National Congress, and says two billion people back Indonesia on West Irian; second item reports Djuanda placing the West Irian struggle under the National Security Council and the D
WIDF volume on the IVth Congress, Vienna, 1-5 June 1958: speeches, reports and resolutions. Gerwani appears directly: Mudigdio, vice-president of Gerwani and head of the Indonesian delegation, speaks (pp. 89-92) for 663,740 members, citing equal-pay claims, the Third Gerwani Congress (December 1957), West Irian, work w
Tribune (Sydney), 8 Jan 1958, p. 8: from Jakarta, Sukarno attended a party of the Indonesian National Preparatory Committee for the Asian-African Women's Conference due in Colombo in February; chair Mme Subandrio says it is inspired by the Bandung spirit. WIDF sends solidarity to Indonesian women in their 'courageous s
Tribune (Sydney), 8 Jan 1958, p. 8: from Jakarta, Sukarno attended a party of the Indonesian National Preparatory Committee for the Asian-African Women's Conference due in Colombo in February; chair Mme Subandrio says it is inspired by the Bandung spirit. WIDF sends solidarity to Indonesian women in their 'courageous s
Dolgozó Nő, 1 Feb 1958. Article on West Irian and the Netherlands, presenting Dutch rule as colonial exploitation of a resource-rich territory that is part of Indonesia; it states Gerwani is highly active in the campaign to regain West Irian, supported by Asian and African women's groups and all 80 member federations o
De Waarheid, 8 Jun 1960, p. 3: report that the NVB received a telegram from Gerwani, 'For peace and humanity, do not send your sons to West Irian', and replied that it will try to launch a big protest campaign. Quotes the NVB's letter to the Dutch cabinet opposing troop and arms shipments to New Guinea and recalling th
De Waarheid, 29 Aug 1960, p. 2: publication of Gerwani's reply letter to the NVB, thanking Dutch women on behalf of its 710,000 members for their efforts to prevent sons being sent to West Irian, promising to publish the NVB letter in Indonesia and to keep working for peace. Prefaced by a note recalling Gerwani's teleg
Tribune (SA edition), 14 Jun 1961, p. 2: Perth Union of Australian Women observes the WIDF-called Week of Solidarity (28 May-2 June) with countries struggling for independence. Members send cables and cards to women's organisations in Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cuba; a visiting Indonesian speaker at a luncheon discus
De Waarheid, 28 Nov 1961, p. 3: one-paragraph quote from Gerwani's greeting to the Dutch women's movement (NVB): Indonesian mothers organised in Gerwani will never forget the NVB's consistent help and solidarity in the struggle to liberate West Irian. Companion to the 'Begroeting Gerwani' item.
De Waarheid, 14 Dec 1961, p. 2: notice that Gerwani, affiliated with WIDF, holds its fourth congress in Jakarta on 14-17 December 1961, and the NVB's greeting telegram, signed by chair Heiltje de Vos and secretary Annie Averink, expressing solidarity in the struggle against colonialism, for transfer of West Irian to In
Tribune (Sydney), 10 Jan 1962, p. 3: Gloria Garton, UAW national president, reports on her 3.5 weeks in Indonesia as WIDF and UAW representative at the 4th Gerwani Congress in Jakarta (14-17 Dec 1961) and a Java tour, with meetings of up to 2,000 in Semarang and Yogyakarta. Says West Irian is the biggest unifying issue
Tribune (Sydney), 10 Jan 1962, p. 3: Gloria Garton, UAW national president, reports on her 3.5 weeks in Indonesia as WIDF and UAW representative at the 4th Gerwani Congress in Jakarta (14-17 Dec 1961) and a Java tour, with meetings of up to 2,000 in Semarang and Yogyakarta. Says West Irian is the biggest unifying issue
Tribune (Sydney), 24 Jan 1962, p. 10: Perth UAW secretary Mrs M. Lester says the UAW wrote to Indonesian women leaders and to Gerwani, described as WIDF-affiliated, supporting Indonesia's claim to West New Guinea and saying Australian leaders do not speak for many sympathetic Australians. It also wrote to ALP leader Ca
Tribune (Sydney), 24 Jan 1962, p. 10: Perth UAW secretary Mrs M. Lester says the UAW wrote to Indonesian women leaders and to Gerwani, described as WIDF-affiliated, supporting Indonesia's claim to West New Guinea and saying Australian leaders do not speak for many sympathetic Australians. It also wrote to ALP leader Ca
De Waarheid, 26 Mar 1962, p. 3: report on an International Women's Day demonstration in Amsterdam for disarmament and peace with Indonesia, with a speech by Annie Averink (NVB). A telegram from Gerwani thanks Dutch women for solidarity and hopes troop shipments to West Irian will stop; Averink proudly noted the NVB rec
Scinteia (Romanian Workers' Party organ), issue no. 5562, 17 June 1962, with a Claude machine translation of its coverage of the closing of Romania's National Conference of Women. Page 5 prints the greeting of Umi Sardjono, chair of Gerwani, who praises socialist women's achievements, presents Gerwani as fighting for t
De Waarheid, 21 Dec 1962, p. 3: full text of a letter from the Gerwani delegation at the WIDF Council session in Berlin, Suharti Suwarto, Darmini Sudirdjo and Sulami, to Dutch objector Tom Clardij, thanking him on behalf of Gerwani's 1,250,000 members, supporting Dutch women's demand for his release from prison and sen
WIDF publication on the World Congress of Women, Moscow, 24-29 June 1963 (1,543 women, 113 countries): reports, speeches, resolutions and the new WIDF council list. Gerwani is mentioned briefly: its roughly 1,000 day nurseries for working mothers are cited as a model; its role in the West Irian campaign is praised; and
Renmin Ribao, 15 Jul 1963, p. 2: full text of the speech by Mrs Pardjani Pradono, head of the Indonesian women's delegation, at the Beijing rally. She says women's emancipation and family happiness cannot be separated from national independence, endorses Sukarno's Political Manifesto, Nasakom and anti-Malaysia line, an
Renmin Ribao, 15 Jul 1963, p. 2: full text of the speech by Mrs Pardjani Pradono, head of the Indonesian women's delegation, at the Beijing rally. She says women's emancipation and family happiness cannot be separated from national independence, endorses Sukarno's Political Manifesto, Nasakom and anti-Malaysia line, an
Tribune (Sydney), 2 Sep 1964, p. 9: Enid Hampson reports on the 10th Congress of Indonesian women's organisations (WANITA, 40 organisations) in Jakarta, 24 July 1964, opened before 9,000 women; Mrs Subandrio gave the main report. Sukarno urged women to a bigger role, food and Malaysia were main themes; also land reform
Tribune (Sydney), 2 Sep 1964, p. 9: Enid Hampson reports on the 10th Congress of Indonesian women's organisations (WANITA, 40 organisations) in Jakarta, 24 July 1964, opened before 9,000 women; Mrs Subandrio gave the main report. Sukarno urged women to a bigger role, food and Malaysia were main themes; also land reform