East Java Committee for Victims of the August Razzia, secretary Sulami (Harian Rakjat, 13 June 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 13 June 1952. On p. 2 an open letter from the East Java Committee for Victims of the August Razzia (chair Ny. Harsono, secretary Sulami) presses the central government to clarify the status of detainees from the August 1951 mass arrests and free them before Idul Fitri, citing the humiliation and sufferin
Women Write to Us From Everywhere: Indonesia (Darmini, 1954)
Short 1954 item in WIDF's 'Women Write to Us From Everywhere' by Darmini, Assistant General Secretary of Gerwani. She reports the Gerwani congress as a success, with WIDF representative Monica Felton present and foreign delegates (Dutch, Australian, Soviet) touring the country, a first in Indonesian women's movement hi
Successful festive evening of the Dutch Women's Movement (ten years of WIDF)
De Waarheid, 12 Dec 1955, p. 3: report on the NVB's festive evening in Amsterdam for the WIDF's tenth anniversary, with a speech by Betty Zeehandelaar on equal pay and women's rights, a Belgian greeting, and a Scapino ballet programme. At the close, letters were sent to the WIDF and to Gerwani asserting Indonesia's rig
Gerwani and painless childbirth
Java-Bode, 23 January 1956, p. 2: the Gerwani central board wrote to the government welcoming Pope Pius XII's endorsement of painless childbirth, credited the theory's discoverer, Soviet professor Pavlov, and urged the government to let Indonesian scholars learn it for mass application. Other snippets (Kalimantan impor
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.
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
Letter from Emma Poeradiredja to Helen Fowler, 12 January 1957
Letter from Emma Poeradiredja (Bandung, 12 January 1957) to Helen Fowler, answering a request to describe Indonesian women's work. She explains the Kongres Wanita Indonesia umbrella, its three foundations, women's organisations by type (social, officials' wives, political), kindergartens, schools, cooperatives and the
1957 'Letter to an Unknown Friend' by Sudjinah (Gerwani) on Indonesian children's conditions, framed by colonial history, Japanese occupation and the Round Table agreement. Gives statistics (15-20% infant mortality, one doctor per 59,000, illiteracy 65%, 5 of 12 million children in school) and notes Gerwani, with the I
Protest against SEATO: Gerwani letter to the US embassy
De Waarheid, 24 Mar 1958, p. 1: short item that Gerwani, on behalf of its 650,000 members, sent a letter to the US embassy in Jakarta asking for SEATO's dissolution and protesting American interference after Washington asked to deploy paratroopers to protect US citizens in the Pekanbaru oil area during the government o
Izvestiia, 18 Jan 1959: brief news, Gerwani letters on nuclear tests
Izvestiia, 18 Jan 1959, p. 5, 'Brief news': the mass women's organisation Gerwani sent letters to the USA, USSR and British embassies in Jakarta demanding an immediate end to nuclear tests. Page context notes a London anti-nuclear conference.
A letter from Indonesia to the Dutch Women's Movement (Gerwani reply)
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
Wrote to Indonesian women
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
Wrote to Indonesian women
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
Protest at US support for Dutch seizure of West Irian; Gerwani letter to Robert Kennedy (Renmin Ribao, 17 February 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 17 Feb 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): during US Attorney General Robert Kennedy's visit, Indonesian student bodies, trade unions and Gerwani protest US support for Dutch 'self-determination' on West Irian; Gerwani delivered a protest letter to the US embassy. Students shout 'Recover West Irian' at Gadjah M
Protest at US support for Dutch seizure of West Irian; Gerwani letter to Robert Kennedy (Renmin Ribao, 17 February 1962)
Renmin Ribao, 17 Feb 1962, p. 3 (Xinhua, Jakarta): during US Attorney General Robert Kennedy's visit, Indonesian student bodies, trade unions and Gerwani protest US support for Dutch 'self-determination' on West Irian; Gerwani delivered a protest letter to the US embassy. Students shout 'Recover West Irian' at Gadjah M
Indonesian women write to Tom Clardij: thanks on behalf of 1.25 million Gerwani members
De Waarheid, 21 Dec 1962, p. 3: report that Gerwani wrote to Tom Clardij, a Zaandam conscientious objector jailed in Vught for refusing service in New Guinea, thanking him on behalf of its 1.25 million members for his action against the colonial war over West Irian. A campaign in the Netherlands seeks his release.
Sympathy for the release campaign: letter from Gerwani delegation to Tom Clardij
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
Letter from Jakarta: Gerwani protests Tom Clardij's imprisonment and thanks NVB
De Waarheid, 13 Feb 1963, p. 2: report that the NVB received a letter from Gerwani, sent after the Central Council's plenary meeting in Jakarta on 10 January 1963, thanking it for solidarity on the transfer of West Irian. The council also protested to the Dutch government against the imprisonment of objector Tom Clardi
FBIS, 4 June 1963: Indonesian women condemn Java riots (Gerwani letter)
FBIS-monitored Xinhua item (4 Jun 1963): the National Women's Federation of China received a letter from the Central Council of the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani) condemning the May 1963 anti-Chinese 'racist counterrevolutionary' riots, blaming ex-Masjumi, PSI and other elements with foreign subversive agents ai
Gerwani Central Council writes to the ACWF condemning the riots (Renmin Ribao, 5 June 1963)
Renmin Ribao, 5 Jun 1963, p. 3 (Xinhua): Gerwani's Central Council writes to the All-China Women's Federation, in the name of 1.5 million members, condemning the 'counter-revolutionary racist' riots against ethnic Chinese. The letter, signed by Mrs Kartini Kurdi, deputy secretary, links the riots to blocking the Econom
Gerwani Central Council writes to the ACWF condemning anti-Chinese riots
Renmin Ribao, 5 Jun 1963, p. 3 (Xinhua): Gerwani's Central Council writes to the All-China Women's Federation, in the name of 1.5 million members, condemning the 'counter-revolutionary racist' riots against ethnic Chinese. The letter, signed by Mrs Kartini Kurdi, deputy secretary, links the riots to blocking the Econom
FO 371/180309: Periodic Reports on Indonesia's Internal Political Situation (1965)
UK Foreign Office file FO 371/180309 (1965), periodic reports on Indonesia's internal political situation, mostly weekly letters from the British Embassy in Djakarta (S.J.G. Cambridge, M.J.T. McCann) to D. Tonkin, January to July 1965, with Antara and press extracts. It covers Aidit and the arming of peasants, Chairul
Indonesia: protest against persecution of the women's movement Gerwani
De Waarheid, 13 May 1966, p. 1: report that the NVB wrote to President Sukarno in shock and indignation at the terror against Gerwani and other democratic organisations, recalling the role they played in the Indonesian revolution and nation-building, and demanding the release of all political prisoners and lifting of t
Protest against persecution of Gerwani (full front page, 13 May 1966)
Full De Waarheid front page, 13 May 1966, mostly Dutch domestic and international news (cabinet Cals wage policy, Soviet trade delegation, US-China air incident). Only one box is relevant: the NVB's letter to Sukarno protesting terror against Gerwani and other democratic organisations and demanding release of political
Dutch Women's Movement protests Suharto's visit: letter to ministers
De Waarheid, 5 Aug 1970, p. 1: full text of the NVB executive's letter to Dutch ministers protesting President Suharto's planned state visit. It accuses his regime of causing hundreds of thousands of deaths, rejecting clemency, and holding at least 125,000 prisoners and exiles, among them many members of the 'million-m
FCO 15/1941: Political Detainees in Indonesia (1974-75)
British Foreign and Commonwealth Office file FCO 15/1941 (1974-75), 'Political detainees in Indonesia': ministerial letters on the National Peace Council and TAPOL campaigns, Research Department notes on Carmel Budiardjo, UN human-rights briefing, ICRC/Buru material and TAPOL Bulletin extracts. Gerwani features in the
Release of Indonesian women demanded: Women's Action Day 1975 protest letter
De Waarheid, 2 Jun 1975, p. 1: report that the NVB's Women's Action Day '75 sent a protest letter to the Suharto regime (copy to minister Pronk) demanding release of four Gerwani women: life imprisonment demanded against Sulami, secretary of Gerwani, and 20 years each against Sri Ambar Rukmijati, Sudjinah and Suharti H