The Women of Indonesia (WIDF Bulletin, 1952)

=== [PDF page 1] === Women have to perform heavy labor in the fields For three and a half centuries of feudal and colonial exploitation, women have played a very inferior role in society. They had no importance, either in public life or at home. The revolution of 1945 in Indonesia brought women equal rights with those of men. According to the provisional Constitution of the Indonesian Republic of August 15, 1950, no difference exists between the rights of men and of women. But since the signing of the Round Table Conference Convention in 1949, equality -een men and women exists only on paper. This Round Table Convention legalised the exploitation of the country’s wealth by foreign capital. The production of rice the people's basic food, is insufficient to satisfy the needs of the population, while the production of war materiel has gone up 90 %o. The quantity of imported merchandise and the competition of foreign capital have forced many national enterprises to close down, The Indonesian government has accepted the embargo on exportation of rubber to China, which could have been exchanged for substantial quantities of rice. Many economic and military agreements have been signed, such as the agreement with the Eximbank, the San Francisco Agreement, and the Mutual Security Convention, a'menace to the people. From the Eximbank alone, the government got a loan of 100 million dollars for the construction of new aerodromes and for improving the port installations of Djarkarta, Surabaya, Tjilat- ‘sb, Makassar, etc. For preparation of the American Fdaiaen dn perigee Ad No. 5/1952, S-23 of Indonesia imperialist war, the people must pay different kinds of taxes, 60%o of the whole national budget is allotted to the army, to the police, and to prisons. The first victims of this reactionary economic policy were the women. Unemployment increases daily; the land that had been distributed to the peasants was taken back and handed over to the foreign exploiters. The average monthly wage of a worker is just enough to feed him for ten days. The prices of necessities go up every day while the people’s buying power goes down and famine spreads. This is illustrated by the fact that in many places, mothers are obliged to sell their children or to exchange them for food. The amount of calories in the Indonesian people’s diet is far below the usual standard. This lack of calories can be blamed for the fact that 35,000 mothers die in childbirth every year, mortality of infants in the first three months has gone up to 55 °/o, and more than 50°%o of the population have tuberculosis. The ideology of war has been imported into Indonesia, poisoning the minds and morals* of the people with films and literature which exalt war, racial discrintination, etc. The government has concentrated the whole power of the state apparatus on anti-democratic actions against the people, especially against peace fighters, the working class and the peasants—such as restriction of trade union activities, an anti-worker fascist law, repression of strikes, raids, etc. The murderous aim of these preparations for war is arousing fierce resistance on the part of the Indonesian people, in the form of concrete actions. The Indonesian women’s movement, GPRWIS is participating actively in this fight against war preparations and for the conclusion of a peace pact between the five great powers. It is protesting against the use of bacteriological weapons by the American imperialists in Korea and in Northeast China. For March 8th, International Woman’s Day, several meetings took place and an appeal was launched to ali Indonesian women, regardless of religious beliefs or political opinions, to join together and fight against antidemocratic legislation and’ against preparations for war. In addition, the Indonesian women were called on to set up a Comittee in Defense of Children and a Committee for the celebration of June Ist, International Children’s Day. The movement is taking part in preparations for the Peace Conference of the Asian and Pacific Countri Many local branches of GERWIS are working actively in different fields, for example, in the fight against illiteracy, by establishing schools for children who do not have any. Despite the difficulties which they have to overcome, they are continuing their struggle, because the women know that peace is not to be had by waiting, that it must be won by the unity of all peace-loving peoples. 92