We need their friendship: 80 million Indonesians
Tribune (Sydney), 12 May 1954, p. 11: Allison Dickie, Union of Australian Women delegate, reports on the 1954 Indonesian women's congress. She describes Gerwis, the league of women 'more politically awake', whose work helped hundreds of thousands become literate and from which Gerwani developed; the six-day Gerwani Nat
We need their friendship: 80 million Indonesians
Tribune (Sydney), 12 May 1954, p. 11: Allison Dickie, Union of Australian Women delegate, reports on the 1954 Indonesian women's congress. She describes Gerwis, the league of women 'more politically awake', whose work helped hundreds of thousands become literate and from which Gerwani developed; the six-day Gerwani Nat
A great and strong people fights for a better life: Rie Lips on Java
De Waarheid, 12 May 1954, p. 5: opening of an interview with Rie Lips, vice-chair of the NVB, back from six weeks on Java after the Gerwis/Gerwani congress. She rejects stereotypes of Indonesians as lazy, dirty or stupid, citing women who work in factories or walk hours to attend meetings of the women's movement, 'the
On the plantations: Rie Lips tells about Indonesia
De Waarheid, 12 May 1954, p. 5: Rie Lips's account of her Java trip: plantation workers' wages (about 3 rupiah per day), child labour on tea and rubber estates, and volunteer village schools. Quotes the Gerwani congress appeal that those who can read should teach others; Soviet delegate Alexandra Kolopowa speaks; photo
Ekaterina in Java: Soviet delegates and the Gerwani congress
De Nieuwsgier, 7 Aug 1954: a Dutch-Indonesian paper recounts that Russian delegates invited to the Gerwani congress arrived after it ended but toured Java with organisers. Ekaterina Sheveleva's Izvestia report praises roads built by colonisers, laments farmers' primitive tools and notes a women's union meeting at a rai
Diane's Diary: New Homeland (Daily News, 9 February 1955)
Daily News (Perth), 9 Feb 1955, p. 18, 'Diane's Diary' women's column. The second item reports Mrs A. Dickie, a Presbyterian minister's wife, who was the Union of Australian Women's delegate to a conference in Djakarta 'conducted by the Indonesian Women's Movement' (about 500 women) in April 1954, then toured Java and
Diane's Diary: New Homeland (Daily News, 9 February 1955), duplicate
Daily News (Perth), 9 Feb 1955, p. 18, 'Diane's Diary' women's column. The second item reports Mrs A. Dickie, a Presbyterian minister's wife, who was the Union of Australian Women's delegate to a conference in Djakarta 'conducted by the Indonesian Women's Movement' (about 500 women) in April 1954, then toured Java and
Mme Suharti, president of the Indonesian Women's Movement; Sukarno and polygamy
La Presse (17 May 1955, p.10): feature on a Muslim feminist campaign against polygamy, starting with the Pakistani PM Mohamed Ali's second marriage and spreading to Java. Says Fatmawati Sukarno was recruited and that Hartini was pregnant during the Bandung Conference. A snippet names Mme Suharti, president of the 'very
Mme Suharti, president of the Indonesian Women's Movement; Sukarno and polygamy (extract)
La Presse (17 May 1955, p.10), snippet extract of the polygamy feature: unrest in Indonesia over Sukarno's marriage to Hartini, in which Mme Suharti, president of the 'very communist-leaning' Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani), took advantage; Hartini's pregnancy surfaced as the Bandung Conference drew attention.
List of Konstituante members, including Setiati Surasto and Suwardiningsih (Bintang Timur, 17 July 1956)
Bintang Timur, 17 July 1956, p. 3 (four-page issue). Continues the published lists of candidates/elected members for the Konstituante by party; among the PKI-and-allies list (OCR columns interleaved with NU, Masyumi and regional lists) appear Setiati Surasto and Suwardiningsih, alongside Nyoto and others. Remainder is
Yu Siyem, Gerwani activist, by Sulami (Harian Rakjat, 16 January 1957)
Harian Rakjat, 16 Jan 1957, p. 3: women's page ('Wanita') with a short story by Sulami (Gerwani) about 'Yu Siyem', a village market woman and Gerwani branch activist who recruits neighbours, tours distant villages and wins her husband's support, showing membership expansion and the Anak-Cabang structure. Also Soviet sc
Hon. M.M. Rossi talks with the Indonesian President: interview with Sukarno (l'Unita, 31 December 1957)
Front page of l'Unità (PCI daily), 31 Dec 1957: special-correspondent interview by Maria Maddalena Rossi (UDI president, WIDF vice-president) with President Sukarno in Jakarta on 21 Dec. Rossi says she came for the WIDF to Gerwani's congress at Solo (23-27 Dec 1957) and conveyed WIDF solidarity; Sukarno discusses colon
l'Unita, 31 December 1957, p. 1: interview with Sukarno by M.M. Rossi (OCR text)
OCR text version of the same l'Unità front page (31 Dec 1957): Maria Maddalena Rossi (UDI/WIDF) interviews Sukarno in Jakarta on 21 Dec, saying she attended the Gerwani congress at Solo for the WIDF and conveying WIDF solidarity; Sukarno speaks on anti-colonialism and the 'four-legged horse' concept. Rest of page cover
Suara Tani, January 1959 (10th anniversary issue): Gerwani greeting and cooperation with BTI
Suara Tani (BTI organ), special 10th-anniversary issue, January 1959, OCR noisy. Contains greetings from ministers, army chief Nasution and Gerwani; BTI New Year message; agrarian seminar results; BTI membership table (3.39 million); exposés of landlord exploitation in Java. On p. 5 Gerwani's national leadership (claim
Pravda, 18 Dec 1961: Fourth Gerwani Congress
Pravda no. 353, 18 December 1961 (full issue). Page 3 has a dispatch by correspondent O. Skalkin from Jakarta on the Fourth Gerwani Congress: 400 delegates from Java, Moluccas, Sumatra, Bali, Kalimantan; Sukarno's speech condemning anti-communism, backing NASAKOM and the West Irian claim, and praising Soviet support. N
Pravda, 18 Dec 1961: Fourth Gerwani Congress (excerpt)
Pravda no. 353, 18 December 1961 (excerpt of the page). Page 3 has a dispatch by correspondent O. Skalkin from Jakarta on the Fourth Gerwani Congress: 400 delegates from Java, Moluccas, Sumatra, Bali, Kalimantan; Sukarno's speech condemning anti-communism, backing NASAKOM and the West Irian claim, and praising Soviet s
W. Irian: biggest issue for Indonesian people today
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
W. Irian: biggest issue for Indonesian people today
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
Java ruled by the army
Friese Koerier ANP/Reuters wire report (11 Oct 1965, p.1) on the situation in Java after the 30 September coup attempt: 90% of rebels reportedly arrested, Muslims looting the homes of Aidit and Njoto and the Gerwani headquarters. It adds that among arrested communists are Gerwani members 'said to be responsible for the
Evening Post (Wellington), 11 Oct 1965, AAP-Reuter/AP/NZPA report: mass arrests of Communists in Jakarta (about 1,500 detained in a week, 2,000 in Java) and fears of a Communist counter-terror. A Muslim mob ransacked a suburban Gerwani office, destroying files and furniture. Saura Islam alleges Communist women tried to
Fears of a New Surge of Red Terror in Indonesia (Evening Post, 11 October 1965), clipping on Gerwani office raid
Clipping from the Evening Post, 11 Oct 1965: a Muslim mob ransacked a suburban Gerwani office, destroying files and burning furniture, after PKI headquarters was burned; Sukarno reportedly gave the Army 'full power'; PNI backs the Army; Saura Islam claims Communist women tried to kidnap Muslim women.
Communists
Gereformeerd Gezinsblad wire item (12 Oct 1965, p.1): Muslims looted the homes of Aidit and Njoto and then the headquarters of the communist women's organisation 'Gerwani'; 86 'counter-revolutionaries' arrested near Breses; 1,500-2,000 rebels arrested on Java. It repeats that arrested Gerwani members are said to be res
Neue Berner Zeitung, 3 November 1965: Anti-communist demonstration in Sumatra; Kowani expels Gerwani
Neue Berner Zeitung, 3 Nov 1965 (UPI/AFP): anti-communist demonstration in Sumatra; Sukarno tells ministers to act 'bravely'; 100,000 demonstrators at the Chinese embassy in Medan; gold and silver mines nationalised; 57 PKI parliamentarians removed. Key for Gerwani research: the Indonesian women's congress (Kowani, OCR
The trauma of 1965 itches and nags
Jan Bezemer's long Trouw weekend feature (30 Sep 1995) on the unresolved 1965 trauma. Covers the 30 September events, Suharto's role, US encouragement, massacres (Gatot's trial testimony) and the smear campaign against Gerwani. Draws on Saskia Wieringa's doctoral research: Gerwani was blamed for mutilating the generals