Balance sheet of Indonesian political parties
Nieuw Utrechtsch Dagblad, 17 January 1947, p. 2: list drawn up by the Republican paper De Patriot of Indonesian groups for and against the Linggadjati draft agreement. Perwari, PKI, Sobsi, BTI and the Partai Sosialis are listed for; Masjumi, PNI and Partai Wanita Rakjat against. Gerwani/Gerwis (founded later) does not
Yesterday's day...
Nieuwe Vlaardingsche Courant, 5 March 1947: Dutch commentary column on the Indies and Palestine. In one line, 'the Indonesian women's organisation' at talks in Malang is said to consider cooperation with the Dutch impossible after Linggadjati. The organisation is not named and cannot be identified as Gerwis (founded 19
International Women's Day 1948: the courage of women
De Waarheid (8 Mar 1948) International Women's Day piece celebrating women's courage under occupation and capitalism, citing the WIDF appeal for peace, democracy and social justice. It voices Dutch women's demand that their sons be brought back from Indonesia. Concerns the Dutch communist women's movement; no Indonesia
Loose and fast from the Republic
De Locomotief, 13 May 1948: satirical column by an 'Indonesian collaborator' on life in the Republic. It says former Minister of Labour S.K. Trimurti, after the fall of the Amir cabinet, is 'a wiser but sadder woman' who no longer speaks publicly, and that Republican women were reluctant to speak at meetings. Hostile,
CIA information report, 19 July 1949: Dunia Wanita
CIA information report, 19 July 1949, saying Ani Idrus, labelled a pro-Republican Communist from Medan, would publish the fortnightly Dunia Wanita. Early sign of US intelligence watching women's press; the Communist label is probably a misclassification.
Revision of the KNIP
De Locomotief, 12 Sept 1949 (Aneta): PNI's Sartono says the KNIP and its Working Committee are being reorganised, and lists organisations seeking seats, including the Partai Wanita Rakyat, Perwari and the Partai Wanita Kristen Indonesia. Gerwis is not named; context on women's organisations' political representation in
Our Strength: column on the WIDF Council in Moscow
De Waarheid column "Our Strength" by L.B. (25 Nov 1949) on the WIDF Council meeting in Moscow (15-20 Nov) and the 1948 Budapest congress, reflecting on women's unity and the daily struggle of a Dutch communist housewife. Indonesia appears only in a list of women's liberation struggles.
CIA report, 6 April 1950: Persatuan Wanita Republik Indonesia, Jakarta
CIA report, 6 April 1950, listing the Jakarta council of Perwari and labelling the group 'extreme right'. Context on Gerwis/Gerwani's main rival and sometime partner, and on the instability of US intelligence categories.
Mrs Robeson in Amsterdam (report on the Asian women's conference in Beijing)
Het Parool report (18 Jan 1950, p.168) on a press conference in Amsterdam by Eslanda Robeson, with Rie Lips-Odinot, Mrs L. Suripno who represented Indonesian women in Beijing, and Annie van Ommeren-Averink, after the December 1949 Asian Women's conference in Beijing and a Moscow meeting of women from 36 countries. They
Indonesian delegate: victory in China inspiring (Lillah Suripno)
De Waarheid item (10 Feb 1950) quoting Indonesian delegate Lillah Suripno at the Asian Women's Conference in Peking: guerrillas fight oppressors, Indonesian women's task is a free democratic state, the Chinese revolution is an example, and victory needs a democratic front under the Communist Party. Photo shows her besi
Irony in the RIS parliament
Trouw (25 Feb 1950), ANP report on the first session of the RIS parliament: ironic laughter from republican members at Dutch congratulatory telegrams, cautious talk of inter-parliamentary cooperation. Mrs Mudigdo (listed as Partai Sosialis member, not seated as such) says she would like to meet Dutch women MPs, seconde
Last phase of parliament: the constitution
De Locomotief, 25 July 1950: report on the last phase of the RIS parliament, opened by Sartono, and the draft unitary constitution. Mrs Moedigdio (Mudigdio) of the Socialist Party is one of the members who say parliament must keep the right of amendment. Text is partly garbled; no Gerwis reference.
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
Second group of Indonesians left for Berlin World Youth Festival
De Waarheid, 7 Jul 1951, p. 3: short report that a second group of Indonesian participants left Jakarta on 2 July for the Third World Youth Festival in Berlin, 38 in all. Among them is Darmini, representing the women's movement, with painter Sudjojono and union and youth delegates. Farewell speeches came from PKI, SOBS
Indonesia celebrates International Children's Day: 25,000 came instead of 4,000
De Waarheid, 19 Jul 1951, p. 5: correspondent's report on Indonesia's first International Children's Day, held in Jakarta on 1 June 1951 with some 25,000 children instead of the expected 4,000. Initiated by the young women's organisation Gerwis, supported by Chinese groups, Pemuda Rakjat, SOBSI and the Peasants' Union
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
Indische Courant, 15 Sep 1951, p. 1 (Peking invitation; Partai Wanita Rakjat congress)
Full newspaper page, Indische Courant voor Nederland, 15 Sep 1951. Relevant: Mrs Trimurti of Gerwis accepts invitation to Peking; Surabaya arrests of Chinese residents and journalists; congress of the Partai Wanita Rakjat (chair Sri Mangunsarkoro) on women's status, monogamy, polygamy, birth control. Other articles unr
Reshuffle of the Women's Front in parliament (Harian Rakjat, 14 February 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 14 Feb 1952 (four-page issue; p.3): a short item that the parliamentary Women's Front (Front Wanita) was reshuffled, with Mrs Sukemi now chair and N. Suwarti secretary, replacing chair Mrs Mudigdo and a secretary whose name is garbled. Also a garbled note on a Gerwis Kebayoran branch meeting, a Soviet wo
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.
Gerben Wagenaar: United we can stop the war (International Women's Day, Amsterdam)
De Waarheid, 10 Mar 1952, p. 1: report on International Women's Day demonstration of 5,000 in Amsterdam, organised with the NVB, with speeches and a WIDF greeting, demands for peace and release of Piet van Staveren, and a 'Sinar Indonesia' dance performance. Gerben Wagenaar speaks. No Gerwani members; shows Dutch commu
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.
Gerwis sends Suwarti and Darmini to child-defence conference in Vienna (Harian Rakjat, 8 April 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 8 Apr 1952, p.3-4: Gerwis, led by Umi Sardjono (PB Gerwis), hosts a reception in Jakarta for organisations and officials, including Health Ministry's Dr Syulianti, to prepare a national committee for child defence; Trimurti speaks on child labour and schooling. Gerwis delegates Suwarti and Darmini (alrea
Gerwis protests at the Egyptian consulate
Java-Bode, 16 Apr 1952, p. 1: Gerwis hands a letter to the Egyptian consulate protesting the Cairo governor's ban on women voting in Egyptian elections, communicated to Doria Shafik of the Daughters of the Nile, and urges its withdrawal.
Gerwis protests Egyptian ban on women voting
De Nieuwsgier, 17 Apr 1952: Gerwis hands a letter to the Egyptian consulate protesting the Cairo governor's decision that women may not take part in Egyptian elections, and urges Egypt to withdraw it. Early example of Gerwis's international women's-rights solidarity.
Dissolution meeting of the 8 March Committee at Gerwis building, Mrs Sutanti Aidit (Harian Rakjat, 19 April 1952)
Harian Rakjat, 19 April 1952. On p. 5 a short report says the 8 March (International Women's Day) Committee held its dissolution meeting at the Gerwis building, Gang Lontar, Jakarta, chaired by Ny. Sutanti Aidit of Gerwis; delegates of Gerwis, Pemuda Puteri Indonesia, Perwari, PWKI and other women's bodies adopted a re
Harian Rakjat, 23 April 1952: Kartini Day commemorations, Mrs Sri Kusnapsiah speaks
Page of the Jakarta daily Harian Rakjat, 23 April 1952 (Kartini Day issue; OCR very noisy). It reports Hari Kartini commemorations in Jakarta (about 650 women at Garden Hall), in The Hague, where Ny. S. Sri Kusnapsiah spoke on Kartini's aims and thought, and in Semarang, Bogor and elsewhere, alongside Wilopo-cabinet an
Indonesia commemorates Kartini's birthday
Indische Courant voor Nederland, 30 Apr 1952, p. 2: report on Kartini Day commemorations in Jakarta, Bandung, The Hague and the US. At a packed Garden Hall meeting in Jakarta organised by women's and girls' associations including Gerwis and PPI, the audience sang the Kartini song and observed a minute's silence.
Women's congress in Jakarta initiated by Gerwis
De Nieuwsgier, 31 Mar 1953: on Gerwis's initiative a conference of women's organisation representatives from across Indonesia will meet in Jakarta on 2-3 April to collect data on Indonesian women's social, economic and political struggle, discuss the WIDF world women's congress in Denmark in June and consider sending a
To the congress in Denmark: delegation chosen for Copenhagen
Aneta report in De Vrije Pers (7 Apr 1953): at a Gerwis-initiated meeting of women's organisations (2-3 April, Jakarta) it was decided to send a delegation to the WIDF women's congress in Denmark in June. Delegates include S.K. Trimurti, Kandjinah and Maasje Siwi of Gerwis, plus Wanita Demokrat and others.