Kartini's Day

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Every 21st April, Indonesia celebrates ‘Hari Kartini’ to remember “Raden Ajeng Kartini” heroic movement during her lifetime for Indonesia’s women rights. What kind of rights you might ask? She was determined that deserve women to have access for education when it’s still a huge taboo and when the stigma still stands where women is limited only for a housewife, being a caretaker for her family.

In Indonesia, women are expected to get married as soon as they hit certain age and to live within a huge wall that limits their abilities and dreams. Being a good cook and a master in raising children and serving the husband, these are the traditional responsibilities expected of Indonesia women. Kitchen, the bed and the well were the only places they were expected to go. Kartini is no exception.

Kartini was born in April 21st , 1879, in a Village called Mayong in the town of Jepara, North Central Java to aristocrat family. She is the daughter of Raden Mas Adipati Aryo Sosrodiningrat, the regent of Jepara. At a young age she wanted to be a teacher to improve the education of young women, she dreamed of studying far to Netherlands to gain teacher’s certification and establish a boarding school for women, but Javanese tradition forced Kartini to leave school at the age of 12 and enters the state where she’s confined in her own home, living under colonialism oppression.

The confinement from 12 years of age does not stop Kartini from obtaining further education whereas other girls from the aristocrat does not receive the same education she obtained. During the period of confinement, she wrote letters to many friends abroad, read magazines and books, and rebelled against the strong tradition of gender discrimination.

She obtained a scholarship to study further in Holland, a desire she worked hard for to obtain, but family pressure led her to reject it, She did not want to marry but she consented to be the fourth wife of the Regent of Sembang, Rade Adipati Joyodiningrat.

Modern feminist group claim her as one of the early Indonesian feminist , whereas Indonesia’s early feminism consciousness was different, it wasn’t until mid 1990 s that the term “feminism” and “gender” are normally used.

Kartini emphasized more to the “maternal feminism”, where a wife and a husband should work together and educate their children and should not be separated from the role of mothers and husband. To add that, she saw women’s education is extremely critical through morality development of nation building.

Kartini believed that God created women to be partners with men, not for accessories, she believes that women ultimate happiness is to live harmoniously with men. Let’s not forget the fact that Kartini is “Raden” which means she’s a royal, but she decided to go rebel against it, for Indonesia’s women.

She wrote in one of her letters that was sent to her friends, that women should be given their rights in equality same as men have, Impact that Kartini hoped for, is not only that women is an accessories for men to show, but could be independent as a human. And her last hope for the women that they don’t have to ask for respect from their surroundings but could be given instead, and also could be obtained from the world.

Kartini for women emancipation, as a feminist

In 1903, Kartini obtained permission to open her own home in Rembang, the first ever all-girls school, for daughters of Javanese officials. She created her own syllabus and system. The school aimed “character development of young women, while at the same time providing them with practical vocational training and general education in art, literature and science. In only a year, the school had one hundred twenty students.

Kartini wrote in January 1903, in realization that education widened her choice in life, and should be enjoyed as a right by all he people. She wrote :

“Who could deny that the women has a great task to perform in the moral development of society? it is women, precisely women, who is the one to do this ; a women could contribute much, if not most, to ensure the improvement of the moral standards of society. Nature herself has appointed her to this task. As mother, she is the first educator, at her knee the child first learns to feel, to think, to speak, and in most case, this initial nurturing influences the rest of its life. It is the hand of the mother which first plants the germ of virtue of wickedness in the heart of the individual where it usually remains for the rest of the person’s life. Not without it is said that a knowledge of right and wrong is imbibed with mother’s milk. But how can Javanese mothers now educate their children if they themself are uneducated? The education and development of the Javanese people can never adequately advance if women are excluded, if they are not given a role to play in this.

Really an important factor in the uplifting of the population will be the progress of the Javanese woman! Therefore it should be the first task of the Government to raise the moral awareness of the Javanese Woman, to educate her, to instruct her, to make her a capable wise mother and nurturer!”

In present-day Indonesia, Hari Ibu Kartini or Kartini Day is seen as “Important event in the school calendar, ofter providing the setting in which students can explore Indonesia history, the roles of women in society, families and the rich cultural diversity of Indonesia.

Kartini lived a short life of twenty five yet she left a legacy that supported the rights of Indonesia women in particular, and national identity in general.

Thanks to Kartini, our nation came to the point of having women in different fields of work, women could pursue their dream accordingly to their passion. We could see many great women who worked and play a huge role in Government.

Now, women have a million opportunities to work in full compared to Kartini’s past. It took decades for women to get a place in the eyes of the people, as whole people. Humans who have opportunities, rights, and potential in various fields to be dedicated to society. And we’re as the modern women and soon to be, the successor of our generation must not forget that fate of our nation lies within our hands.

Happy Kartini's day!