We all know that not many republics which ever led by a female president, even the United States never had a woman president. Indonesia as one of the 'newest democracy' country, did not take too long to accept a female president. The fifth president of Indonesia is a woman, Mrs. Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of The First President of Indonesia, please do not forget that our country is a country with a predominantly Islamic. Where woman public leadership is still a pros and cons issues.
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| RA Kartini |
But not only be a president, some Indonesian women have long occupied important positions in government and even up to ministerial level, the number has more than ten. In the business world, we even recorded some of our women, the founder, a leading innovator and leader of the national companies, say for example Mrs. Muryati Sudibyo mistress and Mrs. Martha Tilaar, two mighty women’s which each of her has now established cosmetics companies that have growth as national and even regional scales companies.
If you follow the news about the World Bank then you will find the name of a woman who now serves as a managing director there, Mrs. Sri Mulyani Inderawati, she is one of the Indonesian women icons.
A young woman who had fight for emancipation and social development since 19th century: RA Kartini.
We soon, on 21 April, will celebrate a very important day regarding to our women emancipation buffetings history. That date is the birthday of a visionary woman who in the 19th century has been struggling with a persistent, the importance of equality between women and men as a condition of the progress of a community. That special lady is RA Kartini.
Raden Ajeng (RA) Kartini was born on April 21, 1879 in Jepara and died on September 17,1904. Her father was an assistant for the district chief of the city in the Dutch Colonialism government. Kartini was the fifth child and eldest daughter in a family of eleven, including half siblings. She was born in a family with a strong intellectual tradition. Her grandfather, Pangeran Ario Tjondronegoro IV, became a Regency Chief at the age of 25 while Kartini's older brother Sosrokartono was an accomplished linguist. Her first dream was becoming like her mother, working hard for others. She went to a Dutch school but when she was 12 years old, her father prohibited her from continuing her studies because of the tradition - a noble girl was not allowed to have a higher education, they had to be secluded.
During her seclusion, Kartini continued to educate herself on her own. Kartini is omnivorous reading variety of subject like cultural and scientific magazines such as the Dutch women's magazine De Hollandsche Lelie, to which she began to send contributions which were published. She also read De locomotief a local newspaper, edited by Pieter Brooshooft, as well as leestrommel, a set of magazines circulated by bookshops to subscribers. From her letters, it was clear that Kartini read everything with a great deal of attention and thoughtfulness. The books she had read before she was 20 included Max Havelaar and Love Letters by Multatuli. She also read De Stille Kracht (The Hidden Force) by Louis Couperus, the works of Frederik van Eeden, Augusta de Witt, the Romantic-Feminist author Mrs. Goekoop de-Jong Van Beek and an anti-war novel by Berta von Suttner, Die Waffen Nieder! (Lay Down Your Arms!). All were in Dutch.
Because of her capacity Kartini in Dutch, she acquired several Dutch pen friends. One of them, a girl by the name of Rosa Abendanon, became her very close friend. Books, newspapers, and European magazines fed Kartini's interest in European feminist thinking, and fostered the desire to improve the conditions of indigenous women, who at that time had a very low social status. Kartini's concerns were not just in the area of the emancipation of women, but also the problems of her society. Kartini saw that the struggle for women to obtain their freedom, autonomy, and legal equality was just part of a wider movement.
Kartini’s urge in searching ways for women to struggle for their rights appeared in her thoughts she shared in her letters. She wanted women to have the freedom to learn and study. Kartini wrote of her ideas and ambitions, including Zelf-ontwikkeling (one’s development), Zelf-onderricht (one’s education), Zelf-vertrouwen (self-confidence), Zelf-werkzaamheid (being able to work independently), and Solidariteit (solidarity).
But unfortunately, in the midst of a passionate zeal to do something for the nation and his people, RA Kartini must passed away during her first son childbirth. She died at a very young age, 25 years old. Abandon the dreams she had not yet realized.
Mr. JH Abendanon, the Minister for Culture, Religion, and Industry in the East Indies, collected and published the letters that Kartini had sent to her friends in Europe. The book was titled Door Duisternis tot Licht (Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang = Out of Dark and Comes into Light) and was published in 1911. It went through five editions, with some additional letters included in the final edition, and was translated into English by Agnes L. Symmers and published under the title Letters of a Javanese Princess. By publication of her letters that attracted great interest in the Netherlands at that time, Kartini's ideas began to change the way the Dutch viewed native women in Java and their colonialism territory. Her ideas also provided inspiration for prominent figures in the fight for Independence.
Here is main idea on her letters:
Kartini wrote about her views of the social conditions at that time, particularly the condition of native Indonesian women. The majority of her letters protest the tendency of Javanese Culture to impose obstacles for the development of women. Kartini's letters also expressed her hopes for support from overseas. In her correspondence with Estell "Stella" Zeehandelaar, Kartini expressed her desire to be like a European youth. She depicted the sufferings of Javanese women fettered by tradition, unable to study, secluded, and who must be prepared to participate in polygamous marriages with men they do not know.
Kartini also wrote about her expression regarding to religion practice in her region at times. She wrote, "Religion must guard us against committing sins, but more often, sins are committed in the name of religion.” Kartini also raised questions with the way in which religion provided a justification for men to pursue polygamy. For Kartini, the suffering of Javanese women reached a pinnacle when the world was reduced to the walls of their houses and they were prepared for a polygamous marriage.
In 1964, President Sukarno declared Kartini's birth date, 21 April, as 'Kartini Day' - an Indonesian National Holiday.
Kartini ideas about emancipation and social development, is really not a mere gender idea but more to justice idea, an idea to enhance the dignity of life for all, not just for women, but also for men, not only for adults but also children. Global ideas that hopefully will continue to live in any society; fight injustice on behalf of whatever!
Thank you
