WIDF Bulletin 1947: Indonesia, Dutch aggression and women's solidarity
WIDF Bulletin, 1947: French Friends of Peace conference, plus an 'Indonesia' item quoting a letter from the Secretariat of the Indonesian Women's Congress on the Dutch colonial war. It says all women's organisations back the Republic, women take part in the fighting, thanks Dutch women's groups for protesting, and asks
The Women of Asia and Africa: Documents, Report of the Commission (WIDF, Budapest, 1948)
WIDF documents volume (Budapest, December 1948) for the Conference of the Women of Asia: the report of the WIDF commission that toured South-East Asia in February-April 1948, plus country reports (Viet Nam, India, Malaya, China, Korea, Africa, Mongolia and others). Indonesia is mentioned only in passing: the commission
Women's congress in Budapest made a mighty vow to the world
De Waarheid report (29 Dec 1948) on the second WIDF congress in Budapest (1-6 Dec, 600+ women, 54 countries), framed as a Soviet-led peace front against "Anglo-American imperialism". Dutch Labour women are chided over the colonial war in Indonesia; Indonesian women are not among the delegates named.
Official WIDF account of its Second Women's International Congress, Budapest, 1-6 December 1948 (390 delegates, 51 nations), with preface by Irene Joliot-Curie. It frames women's rights, child welfare and peace against Cold War blocs. Gerwani is not named. Indonesia appears only as a colonial struggle: appeals to end D
The international women's congress in Budapest: Dutch delegates and manifesto
De Waarheid report (4 Jan 1949) on Dutch delegates Annie Gelok and Mien Bosch at the second WIDF congress, with the full manifesto. Gelok said the Dutch Women's Movement alone sided with the Indonesian people and demanded troop withdrawal; the paper notes Indonesia's WIDF-affiliated women's organisation was absent beca
CIA information report, April 1949: The WIDF in the Far East
CIA information report, April 1949 (catalogued 18 April): 'The WIDF in the Far East'. Lists delegates at the WIDF Council's first session (Paris, Feb 1947) and traces WIDF contacts in China, Malaya, Hong Kong and Singapore, a proposed 1948 fact-finding commission on women in India, Indonesia and elsewhere, and plans af
318 delegates could not come: World Peace Congress opens in Paris
De Waarheid report (20 Apr 1949) on the opening of the World Peace Congress in Paris, where Joliot-Curie greeted delegations from China, Spain, Greece, Vietnam and Indonesia, protested French refusal of 380 visas and noted women's role in peace. WIDF chair Cotton sat on the platform. No Indonesian delegate or Gerwis/Ge
Chairwoman of Dutch Women's Movement in Peking for Asian women's conference
De Waarheid report (7 Dec 1949) on arrival in Peking of WIDF secretary-general Vaillant-Couturier and 20 delegates to the Asian women's conference, greeted by Deng Yingchao. The delegate list includes Lillah Suripno from Indonesia alongside Dutch vice-chair Rie Lips-Odinot, Eslanda Robeson and women from France, Korea,
First time in Peking: exhibition on the life of women in Asia
Short De Waarheid report (9 Dec 1949) on the exhibition on the life and struggle of Asian women and workers opened in Peking for the WIDF Asian Women's Conference, with material from the USSR, Mongolia, China, Korea, Vietnam, India, Indonesia and Iran. Speakers Li Dequan and Vaillant-Couturier stressed solidarity and n
FBIS, 13 December 1949: Many speeches mark third-day session (Asian Women's Conference)
FBIS monitored Peking radio report (13 Dec 1949) on day three of the Asian Women's Conference: Teng Ying-chao's report, speeches by delegates including an unnamed (OCR garbled) Indonesian delegate who urged an all-national united front under the Indonesian Communist Party; Dutch, French, Indochinese, Soviet speakers. E
Sunday Worker, 1 January 1950, p. 2: Asian women tell the U.S.A. (Asian Women's Conference, Peking)
Sunday Worker, 1 Jan 1950, p. 2: page with several items; the relevant article, datelined Peking, reports the Asian Women's Conference where women leaders from 15 Asian countries, including Indonesia, Burma and India, pledged struggle against imperialism. Delegates said conditions in Burma and Indonesia were alike unde
Soviet Woman, 28 Feb 1950, p. 47: A. N. Atanepesova's account of the Conference of Women of Asian Countries, Peking, late 1949 (198 delegates). Indonesia appears via delegate 'Lilia Suripno', who described partisan women fighting Dutch troops with babies on their backs. Reflects early WIDF-linked Asian solidarity; Gerw
'They were not allowed to take part': 17 August is a day of mourning
De Locomotief, 15 Aug 1950 (Aneta): SOBSI, Rukun Tani, a youth front, PRRI and the women's organisation GERWIS form a committee to commemorate the 'People's Proclamation of 17 August 1945', declaring 17 August 1950 a day of mourning because the RTC-style unitary state buries the 1945 republic. They protest the ban on b
City news: Semarang, 2 November 1950
De Locomotief, 2 Nov 1950, Semarang city news column. Relevant items: Gerwis Semarang has a new board chaired by Miss Kadarsih after merging its three branches; Gerwis (with Perwari, Kowani) is on the committee for the reburial of Lt-Col Sirojo (catering); a PKI branch opens in Semarang. The 'Kartinah' mentioned died o
FBIS, 13 November 1950: Women's federation (Kowani and WIDF delegates)
FBIS note (13 Nov 1950): the Kowani executive reports that three WIDF delegates (Shen Chi-shu, Chen Ke, Chi Yun) would leave Peking on 16 Nov to attend the Kowani Congress, 24-26 Nov; Kowani is described as a WIDF member. Shows WIDF links with Indonesia's women's federation shortly after the Sept 1950 founding of Gerwi
Shen Zijiu and others to represent WIDF at Indonesian women's congress (Renmin Ribao, 20 November 1950)
Short Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 20 Nov 1950 (p. 4): Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke and Qi Yun of the All-China Democratic Women's Federation, with secretary Zhou Shumin, leave Beijing on 17 Nov as WIDF representatives to attend the All-Indonesian Women's Congress to open in Jakarta on 24 Nov. Early evidence of WIDF links to In
Shen Zijiu and others to represent WIDF at Indonesian women's congress (Renmin Ribao, 20 November 1950)
Short Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 20 Nov 1950 (p. 4): Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke and Qi Yun of the All-China Democratic Women's Federation, with secretary Zhou Shumin, leave Beijing on 17 Nov as WIDF representatives to attend the All-Indonesian Women's Congress to open in Jakarta on 24 Nov. Early evidence of WIDF links to In
Salatiga: Gerwis meeting on labour protection
De Locomotief, 23 Nov 1950: Salatiga news column. A well-attended Gerwis (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia Sedar) meeting with local women's organisations, addressed by central board members on the 1948 Labour Ordinance, adopts a motion urging the government to enforce article 13 on protection of women workers, which employers
FBIS, 29 November 1950: Women's Congress (Kowani)
FBIS item (29 Nov 1950): the Kowani congress ended on 28 Nov and set up an all-Indonesia federation of women's organisations called the Indonesian Women's Congress. Secretariat headed by Dr Maria Ulfah Santoso (OCR: Marta Ulfan). Programme: Pancasila basis, full independence, equal rights for women, peace, and pressure
Chinese women did not get visas to Indonesian women's congress
De Nieuwsgier, 3 Jan 1951 (AP): Peking radio complains that the Indonesian consulate in Hong Kong refused visas to three Chinese women delegates to an Indonesian women's congress; they returned to Beijing and filed a report with the WIDF, which had delegated them. Organisation of the congress is not named in the text.
Indonesia refuses visas, Chinese women's delegation returns to Beijing (Renmin Ribao, 6 January 1951)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Jan 1951 (p. 4): the Chinese women's delegation (Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke, Qi Yun) sent for the WIDF to the All-Indonesian Women's Congress could not attend because the Indonesian government refused entry visas despite repeated negotiations with the Indonesian consul in Hong Kong. They reported to WIDF and r
Indonesia refuses visas, Chinese women's delegation returns to Beijing (Renmin Ribao, 6 January 1951)
Renmin Ribao, 6 Jan 1951 (p. 4): the Chinese women's delegation (Shen Zijiu, Zeng Ke, Qi Yun) sent for the WIDF to the All-Indonesian Women's Congress could not attend because the Indonesian government refused entry visas despite repeated negotiations with the Indonesian consul in Hong Kong. They reported to WIDF and r
Indonesian women support conclusion of a peace pact (Renmin Ribao, 13 March 1951)
Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 13 Mar 1951 (p. 4), relaying TASS and the Dutch paper De Waarheid: representatives of Indonesian women's organisations met in Yogyakarta, endorsed the World Peace Council's Berlin call for a five-power peace pact, and resolved that Indonesian women's organisations should link with and join
Indonesian women support conclusion of a peace pact (Renmin Ribao, 13 March 1951)
Xinhua item in Renmin Ribao, 13 Mar 1951 (p. 4), relaying TASS and the Dutch paper De Waarheid: representatives of Indonesian women's organisations met in Yogyakarta, endorsed the World Peace Council's Berlin call for a five-power peace pact, and resolved that Indonesian women's organisations should link with and join
In Yogyakarta two committees for 17 August
De Nieuwsgier, 31 July 1951: in Yogyakarta SOBSI initiates a rival '17 August' committee including trade unions, the youth front, PKI, PSII, Murba, BTI and Gerwis, claiming the city's official committee only wants to 'celebrate' without expressing the people's struggle. It will explore a merger. Another item (Pakistan-
Indonesian Women Had Part in Congress (Sunday Herald, 26 August 1951)
Sunday Herald (Sydney), 26 Aug 1951, p. 18: Beryl Wright of the Australian Federation of University Women reports that Indonesian women took part, for the first time, in an international conference at Bali (UN Information South-East Asian regional conference of non-governmental bodies); they were interested in equal pa
Indonesian Women Had Part in Congress (Sunday Herald, 26 August 1951), duplicate
Sunday Herald (Sydney), 26 Aug 1951, p. 18: Beryl Wright of the Australian Federation of University Women reports that Indonesian women took part, for the first time, in an international conference at Bali (UN Information South-East Asian regional conference of non-governmental bodies); they were interested in equal pa
WIDF Executive message 1952: Congress of the Peoples for Peace, Vienna
WIDF Executive Committee message (1952) calling women worldwide to prepare for the Congress of the Peoples for Peace, Vienna, 5 December 1952, and to demand an end to the Korean war, arms reduction, banning of atomic and bacteriological weapons, and a Pact of Peace. Signatories include Eugénie Cotton and others; Darmin
Results of the Peking Conference go beyond Asia and the Pacific (WIDF, 1952)
WIDF 1952 report on the Peace Conference of Asian and Pacific Countries (Peking, 2 Oct 1952; 367 delegates, 37 countries): speeches by Soong Ching Ling, Monica Felton, Malayan, Korean and American delegates on Korea, germ warfare, women's and children's rights and national independence. Umi Sardjono of Indonesia is lis
Indonesian workers defend their unity; Gerwis congress resolution on Round Table agreement
De Waarheid, 16 Jan 1952, p. 4: report on workers' protests against Sjahrir's PSI splitting unions (the Perbupri breakaway from SOBSI's plantation union Sarbupri in Jember). A closing section says the Gerwis annual congress in Surabaya unanimously demanded abolition of the Round Table Agreement and return of New Guinea