Kartini (Sulami, 1960)

=== [PDF page 1] === Mother Kartini was the first pioneer of the Indonesian women, The second daughter of R. M. Adipati Arjo Sosroningrat, regent of Japara, Middle Java, she was born on 2st April, 1879, and passed away in 1904, giving birth to her only child, Her short life was filled with great ideals, dedicated to the progress of women and to the happiness of the whole of mankind. Indonesia, at that time, was dominated by the Dutch, Having become a head of the Japara region in Middle Java, Kartini’s father held high rank in the feudal society, almost like a little king, Although they loved her dearly her father, brothers and sisters did not agree with her ideals. According to feudal tradition, after they reached the age of twelve, girls had to remain inside their homes. After their fifteenth birthday they were married to a man chosen by their fathers. Theit mothers had no rights in settling the affairs of their daughters Child-marriage Was Customary in Indonesia, Kartini attended the Dutch school at Japara until she was 12 years old and then she had to stay at home. Her father, though he wanted his daughters to go to school, obeyed the old feudal tradition. During this period Kartini read boo wrote many letters to her friends in Holland and Germany and struggled against her family for her liberation. Her European friends helped her to become free. When she was 16 years old, Kartini got permission to go out, She was liberated. But her father’s friends stil] disapproved, Being Painfully aware of the unfavourable status of Indonesian women, Kartini rebelled against conventions which allowed poligamy, She wrote: “Our girls have only one ideal — marriage, marriage with a man unknown to them, Why should this be so? Why must I marry? Must I become a Raden Aju (the wife of a high ranking official)? One of many wives. No! No! I know how bitter the life of a Raden Aju is. A high ranking official is like King Solomon who had more than 40 wives. I must be independent, I must be self-supporting, I do not want to marry a strange man. I want to study, I want to help our girls and my people, I will have to face many obstacles, but I must do it. I will struggle, for without struggle it is impossible to win My friends, believe me, I will do it...” This she wrote in many letters to her friends, particularly in her letters to Mrs Estelle H. Zeehandelaar who was her closest friend. Conscious of her people’s right to independence and the necessity for women’s emancipation but not knowing how to 40 make her ideas reach others, Kartini expressed them in her correspondence, which is amazingly rich and progressive for her time. Among the problems Kartini wrote about was the education of women and children: “We wish to see our daughters become educated women and good mothers who are first of all responsible for the education of their children”, Kartini and her sister started to teach a small class of girls at home. In 1903 she married the Regent of Rembang, who was one of the few men at that time prepared to support the courageous efforts of Kartini, She opened another, new class in the neighbourhood of her husband’s house. Having a profound sympathy for the oppressed, she strongly resented the br utalities of colonial rule. In an article Published jin “De Hollandsche Lelie” Kartini wrote: “I have great sympathy for the ideals of the socialists and I am quite convinced that the biggest criminals are to be found not in the Kampongs but in the Heeren and Keizergracht * (the centre of the headquarters of the Dutch colonialists in Amsterdam), At the time of the Boer War she wrote, . my thoughts fly across the blue seas to the Coast of South Africa, to the bloody battlefield, my thoughts fly to that vale of appalling misery and bitter grief, of boundless sufferings... the de d, the Wounded, the widows, the orphans, the victims of incomparable British cruelty.” She read the progressive books of her time, such as August Bebel’s “Women and Socialism”, the books of Multatuli and Justus V. Maurik. She also liked to read the Bible and the Koran, She was a literary woman and an artist. One of her prints, a pattern for Wwood-carving, was found in Surabaya, East Java, and her wood-carving may still be seen in her former home, the regent house of Rembang in Middle Java. The well-known Indonesian writer, Pramudija Anantatur, said that Kartini was not only the pioneer of women’s struggle for emancipation, but she was a great philosopher, poetess and writer The Indonesian women commemorate Mother Kartini as a fighter for national liberation and emancipation, The Indonesian Women’s Congress, having its headquarters in Djakarta, has twice presented the Kartini cup to women for meritorious service in the movement for the progress of Indonesian women In the course of his lecture given to more than 3,000 women in his’ palace, on 15th April, 1959, President Sukarno said that: “Kartini was a fighter, not only for the emancipation of women but also for the happiness of people.” He said women should not be satisfied with emancipation and equal rights between men and women, but they must struggle together with men to obtain a just and prosperous society. Even though Kartini died more than 50 years ago, her aspirations continue to live in the hearts of the women of Indonesia. Sulami Hoda Charaoui was a_ foundation member of the Egyptian Women's movement, Her name was recognised for the first time in 1919 when the women spontaneous)y and enthusiastically joined the nationalist movement, when they left their homes where they had lived in jsolation to protest against the British Occupation. They wrote articles spoke at public meetings, in mosques and in churches. They still wore the veil when the first women’s demonstration took place, Surrounded by bayonets they stayed under the hot sun for hours. Many were shot. Newspapers carried artic les about them, poets dedicated their works to them, A women’s movement was bor n and Hoda Charaoui became its heroine and guide. Hoda Charaoui belonged to a well-to-do family which faithfully respected the old traditions. Hoda herself suffered from all the drawbacks caused through women’s inferiority, She had great capabilities but could not even attend a secondary s because no such schools existed for At 13 she was married to her tutor, who alréady had children older than herself She revolted against wearing the veil and with Ceza Nabaraoui, her intimate friend and ally, was among the first Egyptiar woman to reject it. irls In 1923, Hoda Charaoui founded the first women’s organisation, called the Egyptian Feminist Union. For many years she was the president and represented it at the Congresses of the | Women’s Alliance in Rome, F and Istanbul, as well as at the Arab Women in 1938. The Ur ed appeals and stru, gled for tights, peace, liberty and na pendence. At the Opening of Parliamy Hoda and her Feminist friends in tk Union organised demonstration they carriec bearing slogans demanding { and the independence of Egy) Mrs. Charaoui at her home in Cairo chandise following the English ult Hoda put her house and het the disposal of the organisatio. organising the bc sible for British goods. The Egyptian Union resolutely demonstratec the signing of the Anglo ypti in 1936, and constantly undertoo actions for national independe democratic liberties One of its first demands was vote. Hoda and her frie the « devoted themselves to obtaining for girls equality of education. Their efforts contri June 1923: Mrs, Hoda Charaoui and for the first time,