Dictatorial powers for President Sukarno (Madiun affair)
Indische Courant voor Nederland front page (29 Sep 1948) on the Madiun affair: the KNIP working committee grants Sukarno full emergency powers for three months (25-1); Hatta blames 'PKI-Musso'; arrests of FDR communist leaders in Magelang, curfews in Kediri; Solo youth back the government. Soewarti of the labour party
President and government at women's congress in Budapest (WIDF second congress opens)
Short De Waarheid report (3 Dec 1948) on the opening of the second WIDF congress in Budapest, attended by President Szakasits and the Hungarian government. Chinese and Soviet women were cheered; delegates from Vietnam were denied visas and women from Indonesia, Iran and Argentina were still awaited.
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.
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
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
National Conference of the Dutch Women's Movement in Amsterdam
De Waarheid notice (28 Oct 1949) of the national conference of the Dutch Women's Movement in Amsterdam, chaired by Rie Lips-Odinot, with news of the WIDF Council meeting in Peking and a talk by "an Indonesian woman fighter". Culture morning with peace films and choir.
The lot of Salawati
Nieuwe Courant, 3 December 1949: commentary profiling 'Lot Salawati' (Salawati Daud) as 'very left and very revolutionary', leader of the Masamba gang. It speculates that she was humiliated at the Indonesian Women's Congress in Yogyakarta and then at home in Makassar, and sought rehabilitation through violence; it also
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
'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
Delegates to World Peace Congress
Nieuwe Courant, 3 November 1950: conference of the Committee for World Peace in Yogyakarta, attended by branches and representatives of Kowani, Gerwis, Front Pemuda Indonesia, BTI, Sobsi, Pesindo and others. It endorsed the Prague appeal, proposals for the London congress (five-power peace, Dutch army withdrawal, no fo
'World Peace' (peace conference in Yogyakarta)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (4 Nov 1950, p.2): a World Peace Committee conference in Yogyakarta approved the Prague appeal, proposed demands for the Nederlandse army's withdrawal from Indonesia and an end to foreign interference (Irian, Moluccas) for a London congress, and reported 180,000 signatures. Delegates include
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
Fifth Women's Congress opened in Jakarta (KOWANI)
Het Nieuwsblad voor Sumatra (28 Nov 1950, p.2): the KOWANI 5th women's congress opens in Jakarta with about 200 delegates; Mrs Pudjobuntoro says the struggle continues until Irian returns. Preliminary papers: Miss Soesilowati on elections and women in parliament, Mr Nani Suwondo on marriage, Miss Suwarti on labour and
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.
English-language news-in-brief column, Java-Bode, 20 Jul 1951, p. 2. Only the final Dutch paragraph concerns Gerwani: Gerwis (Gerakan Wanita Indonesia Sedar) recently commemorated its first anniversary at Hotel Kali-Taman in Salatiga with local organisations attending. The rest of the column is not related.
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-
Two committees in Yogyakarta for 17 August
Aneta item in De Vrije Pers (31 Jul 1951): on SOBSI's initiative a "17 August" committee was formed in Yogyakarta with trade unions, Front Pemuda, PKI, PSII, Murba, BTI and Gerwis, as an alternative to the city administration's committee, which SOBSI said would only "celebrate a feast".
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
Indonesian women's organisation demands introduction of a marriage law
De Waarheid, 16 Jan 1952, p. 5: correspondent report from Surabaya on Gerwis's annual congress (Dec 1951), whose main resolution demands a marriage law setting minimum ages (men 20, women 17) against widespread child marriage, and giving local women's organisations the role of monitoring compliance and prosecuting viol
Pancasila proves a hindrance: Gerwis explains adoption of People's Democracy
De Vrije Pers report (12 Feb 1952) on a Gerwis meeting explaining its adoption of "People's Democracy" instead of Pancasila as its basis, since Pancasila had hampered organising. Speakers (Miss Moedjiati, Miss Muninggar) described anti-imperialist, anti-feudal aims, a national front against the RTC, and insisted Gerwis
International Women's Day in Surabaya: women's federation meeting
Short De Vrije Pers notice (7 Mar 1952) that International Women's Day would be marked in Surabaya by the Gabungan Organisasi Wanita Surabaya, which includes Gerwis, Perwari, Christian and other women's groups at the regent's pendopo, while Chinese women's organisations held separate events.
News in brief (Roosevelt to address women's congress)
'News in brief' column, Provinciale Overijsselsche en Zwolsche Courant (14 Mar 1952). The only Indonesia item says Eleanor Roosevelt will reach Jakarta on 25 March, be received by Sukarno on 26 March and address the congress of an Indonesian women's movement (not named). Context for the Gerwis letter to Roosevelt.
Kartini Day commemoration in Jakarta, 1952
De Nieuwsgier, 24 Apr 1952 (Aneta): a packed Jakarta hall marks Kartini Day, organised by women's and girls' associations including Gerwis and PPI, with the Indonesia Raya and Kartini songs, a minute's silence, a speech by Miss Ainun of Pemuda Puteri Indonesia and a handicraft exhibition. AURI wives held a separate com
International Children's Day committee in Surabaya
De Vrije Pers notice (21 May 1952): a committee of women's and youth organisations was set up to commemorate Children's Day on 1 June (called "communist" by the paper), chaired by Mrs Mh. Tana of Gerwis, with Miss Marlijah (RKKS) and Mrs Mudjinah (Perwari); events include a reception and a children's gathering at the P
Freedom Day celebration committee formed on basis of National Reveil declaration
De Nieuwsgier, 15 July 1952 (Sin Po): a Jakarta meeting of 34 parties and organisations forms a Freedom Day (17 August) committee led by the PKI's Greater Jakarta section by 26 votes; PNI, Parkindo, SOBSI and Gerwis sit on it, Masjumi and PSI abstain. It adopts the National Reveil joint declaration signed by 60 groups.
Imperialists and prostitution: Gerwis public meeting at East Java conference
De Vrije Pers report (2 Aug 1952) on a public meeting during the Gerwis East Java conference in Surabaya. Miss Sulami explained Gerwis as anti-imperialist and anti-capitalist, opposed the widows' pension rule as promoting polygamy, blamed polygamy on the lack of a marriage law and prostitution on imperialist-caused pov
Convictions for theft of the 'Koalas' (with note on Gerwis East Java peace delegation)
Java-Bode, 11 Aug 1952, p. 2. Mostly a Surabaya court verdict over the 1950 'Koalas' boat theft; the Gerwani-relevant item is an Aneta note that the East Java Gerwis conference decided to send Mrs Tam, Sulami and Warmi to the Asian peace conference in Peking.
Gerwis East Java: delegation to the Peking peace conference
Short Aneta item, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 18 Aug 1952, p. 3: the East Java branch conference of Gerwis decides to send a delegation (Mrs Tam, Sulami, Warmi) to the Asian peace conference in Peking. Also notes Salatiga teacher-training funds and the Parindra congress.