Kartini power<\/p>\n
Forget \"People Power\" in the Philippines! Even forget \"Student
\nPower\" in Indonesia, if such a thing exists! But please do not
\nforget \"Kartini Power\" especially in the month of April when the
\nnation commemorates Kartini Day, on April 21.<\/p>\n
The celebration is compulsory for women and girls who usually
\ndress up in kebaya (Javanese traditional blouse) and kain batik
\n(batik sarong) on that day. I suspect that our female television
\npresenters are already imagining themselves appearing extra
\nattractive on screen on that day.<\/p>\n
But Kartini, who was a Javanese beauty herself, dedicated her
\nlife to the betterment of the women of her time who still lived
\nin bondage. She was especially obsessed with equal education for
\nmales and females of her time. She couldn't care less about
\nlooks.<\/p>\n
Her influence on the people and leaders of this country was,
\nand still is, immense. After her death, the Dutch allowed schools
\nto be named after her. There is a popular magazine now called
\nKartini. Supratman, composer of the national anthem, dedicated a
\nsong to her. If you pass Jl. Imam Bonjol and stop in front of the
\nNational Development Planning Board (Bappenas) building you will
\nnotice a statue in kebaya dedicated to Kartini. (IMF people must
\nsee it, too)<\/p>\n
If you have been to Rome or Paris and seen the statues there,
\nyou certainly will wonder about the small size of the Kartini
\nstatue. Compared to its imposing surroundings and the famous
\nTaman Suropati residential area (the Vice President, Jakarta
\ngovernor and ambassadors reside nearby), it is, in my opinion,
\nabsolutely misplaced. The Kartini statue would be all very well
\ninside the building, But outside, in the open air, it seems a
\nmockery, as if it were mocking Kartini's merits. In my opinion
\nshe deserves to stand on a higher platform. After all, she was a
\nhero to many women! Where she now stands, she looks like a dwarf
\ninstead of a giant personality.<\/p>\n
The creation of a special ministry (of women's affairs) in
\nboth the Sukarno and Soeharto administrations only indicates the
\ngreat influence and strength of Kartini's almost mystical power.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the plight of today's Kartinis have been
\npractically unaffected as seen by the droves of women seeking
\nemployment overseas. Child labor and child prostitution are still
\nrife.<\/p>\n
While Kartini looked down and contemplated the position of the
\nrural people, women leaders in the post-Kartini era felt more
\nchallenged in looking up to their superiors. I doubt and often
\nwonder if under a Pancasila welfare society, the numerous women
\njamu (herbal medicine) vendors with heavy burdens on their backs,
\nwould be allowed to make their daily rounds.<\/p>\n
If you ever have a chance to travel to Central Java, do not
\nfail to visit the town of Rembang, accessible by road via Cirebon
\nor Magelang. It would be unsurprising if you heard Kartini
\nweeping from the grave, if she knew that like her, many women,
\naccording to WHO statistics, still die a tragic death during
\nchildbirth. Their numbers are staggering.<\/p>\n
GANDHI SUKARDI<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/kartini-power-1447899208", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }