R. A. Kartini (WIDF, 1958)

=== [PDF page 1] === n April 2ist, Indonesia celebrates “Kartini Day”. Children in the schools remember R. A. Kartini as an ardent champion for increasing education among Indonesians. In the offices and fields, adults commemorate her as a forerunner of nationalist thoughts. Women all over the country sing the song of Mother Kartini” and reaffirm their vow to attain complete equality in memory of this pioneer for women’s emancipation When the rains had already washed the fields and the echoing green of Java had burst forth into brilliant blossoms, a second daughter was born to Mas Adipati Sosroningrat, Regent of Djepara in central ava. April 21st, 1879, was Kartini’s birthday Kartini’s life was a simple one. Born into a Javanese aristocratic family, she Was surrounded by the ancient customs and conventions which expected a girl*to be quiet and obedient with the sole duty of serving in all reverence, first her parents and afterwards her husband. She would have no opinions of her own or at least would not expréss them if she had any. But Kartini’s intelligence, determination and generosity of heart could not be confined within these limits: conscious of her peoples’ right to independence and the emancipation of women, and yet not Knowing how to mobilise the ‘masses, Kartini expressed her thoughts in her correspondence, which is amazingly rich and progressive, especially for her time As she came from a family in easy circumstances, Kartini was able to go the Dutch elementary schools. Her wish to continue her studies at first raised a storm of protest from her family and other people, but she managed to finish school and won a scholarship to go and study in Holland. But in the end Kartini chose to stay in her country where she could be more useful to her people. A woman herself, Kartini was painfully aware of the unfavourable status of Indonesian women, and this caused her to rebel against conventions which allowed polygamy, and which were so miserably misused that a man was entitled to divorce his wife without reason As a first step towards the solution of these problems Kartini tried to get education for Indonesian girls. She wanted to open a school where girls of all ranks in the Indonesian community would be given elementary education besides lessons in good housekeeping Kartini and her sister, started to teach a small class of girls at home. In 19¢ she married the Regent of Rembang. Her husband was not a young man but to her happiness she found him sympathetic towards her ideas. She opened another S in the new surroundings of her husband’s home Unfortunately after one ar she died while giving birth to a son. Thus al the age of 25, a life ended abruptly which had begun so hopefully for many other lives Though many of her correspondents were Dutch, she never hesitated to put forward her views boldly on what she thought about the white-skin pride of the Dutch rulers. Her letters vibrated with nationalist Spirit even in those days when the nationalist movement was yet to be born in an active form. In a letter to Mrs. Abendanon, dated October 21st, 1902 she wrote: “... Civi lization is not at all a kind of private property of whatever-person happens to be in a civilized country. Real and pure civilization also exists in countries and 14 A pioneer of women's emancipation in Indonesia . A. KARTINI nations which are mostly recognised by the white-skin nation as inferior nations The white-skin nation is therefore only convinced of its own superiorit Actually, my nation has indeed some bad characteristics, but on the other hand it also has its good side which might Surely be made an example and taken over by that ‘civilized nation In another letter to the same lady, dated December 12th, 1902, there are echoes of her deep love for the common people of her country, in spite of her origin and education. In this letter she wrote The thing I like most is to live amongst the pure people in villages and kampongs. Since my very childhood I have considered this as something lovely because I understood that only in this way I might love and admire my nation. The spirit of-any kind of people can be understood well after living for a long time in their midst and by going through ups and downs together, by sharing happiness and sorrows The Federation of Japanese Women's Organisations, comprising more than 45 organisations, represents the most diverse sections of society In those early days her mind was a to the brutalities of the Dutch colo rule and she even sympathised with socialist ideas. One of her most intin friends was Estella Zeehandlaar, a you woman with a socialist outlook. In article which was published in a jour De Hollandsche Lelie’ Kartini wrot “I have a great sympathy for the ide of the socialists and I am quite convinc that the biggest criminals are be found not in the kampongs but the Heeren and Keizergracht = ( centres of the headquarters of the Dut: imperialists in Amsterdam at that ti Her sympathies with the oppress knew no bounds. In an article speak about a reception held to honour Governor-General, she wrote: “As I look around me my thought fly far from Semarang (the place whe the reception would be given) now bathe in an air of festivity, far across the blu seas to the coast of South Africa, to th« bloody battlefield; my thoughts fly that vale of appalling misery and bitte grief, of boundless sufferings the dead the wounded, the widows the orphans the victims of incomparable British cruelty The richness of her ideas, her deep patriotism and her feeling for all who were downtrodden have given her a place of immortal love in the mind of Indonesian people. That is why to this day in their bitter struggle to consolidate full independence they draw inspiration from this young but wise optimist who wrote So confidently From death and extinction new life will be born. This new life cannot be prevented and held down; even though it might be today, by the next morning it would grow again, and life would become stronger and more steadfast they decided Ive years have passed since the third in Copen- inanimously the Federation strengthened numerous countries of the The Council of the W..D.F organization 140 million in News of the appreciate invaluable strong women’s or sanizations have joined The members of the Union of Sud confronted anese At the last meeting tasks Chakravarty the desire of the N to become The National Feder “encompasses of the Council in Helexpressed Federation of its independence conditions the W.1.D.F of Indian Women arge and small organizat altogether Until now we have not the W.I.D.F. Nevertheless must be improved The road of the Japanese distinguished themselves of mass destruction has been experience through their learned that Hiroshima, and it marching forward on th The women of Ind tact with the W.LD.F., have the activities of this org everywhere, Berlin in November 1957, « The Festival of the THE GROWING FAMILY OF THE W.I.D.F. The women's organisations in India, Japan, the Sudan and the Cameroons have reently affiliated to the W.I.D.F. Those in Senegal, Ceylon, Nepal Panama and Haiti express the same desire decided accepted the request for affiliat on on the Congress to part of the Federation of Japanese Women’s Organizations which comprises granted the some forty organizations Indian Some time the Democratic Union the of the Women of the Cameroons joined the ranks of the Fede, ation. Later this ition on the organization was forbidden to function Women nd suffered severe persecution. The ‘re giving their wholehearted support to their friends in the ( ameroons together with al 1 the W.ID.F. and its national organizations their people, demand Justice and the application of he statutes recently “of the United Nations Ore inization has much to build children from colonialism An inquiry about affiliation to the W.LD.F. came from another Africa country, Senegal. The women f Senegal say in their letter who in agreement with the statu battle W.ID.F. and as} you to please accept us weapons among you. We are a young o: ganization and and need to be he Iped by older ones who new have already undergone the test of hard they times, and who are continuing to fight they passionately for a better future for women gathered at This very same wish was also expressed stically by a group of young girls from Frenct Equatorial Africa From far-away Ceylon heard that the Wor ’s Sec tion of the Democratic Wor kers’ Congress decided to ask for affiliation to the WILDE and to coordinate its activities with those of our Federation This is already the second organization from Ceylon which has expressed this desire In March 1958, the women of Nepal who are members of the women’s _ organization Akhil Nepali Mahila S angha said in a letter to the Secreta- Tiat that they had decided to join the W.IL.D.F. The Secretariat of theW.I.D.F receives numerous letters from organizations or groups of women who express their agreement with the activities of the W.L.D.F., who follow our work with approval and ask for information regarding the possibility of affiliation Recently we have had such letters from Panama, Haiti and Trinidad 15