A tribute to women and mothers everywhere

A tribute to women and mothers everywhere

Marianne Katoppo, Jakarta

It's December again. Today is the 78th anniversary of the
first Indonesian Women's Congress in Yogyakarta. For some curious
reason, it is now commemorated as Women's Day, to the great joy
of the manufacturers of cosmetics, soap, perfume, detergents, and
all those other items that mothers live for. And to the sorrow of
feminists and those persons concerned about the correct
interpretation of history.

The Women's Congress came less than two months after the
famous Youth Congress, which was the keystone of Indonesian
nationalism. As you may recall, on Oct. 28, 1928, these youths
vowed to "have one motherland, one nation, one language."

Aha! The alert reader will comment: Why motherland? Because,
in the original text it says as tumpah darah, literally meaning a
land where blood was spilled. Meaning: the mother's blood, in the
process of giving birth. With all due respect, it is definitely
not the blood of the soldiers or heroes slain in the many wars
waged on this soil -- as some of the more militaristic among us
like to think.

Another expression for "native country" (country of birth) is
tanah air, "land where the water was spilled." What water? The
amniotic fluid, of course. Not rivers, lakes, nor oceans. Just
the water that precedes the baby's birth.

So in the Indonesian language we are really talking about
motherland, aren't we? It is easy to get carried away now and
gush that in the Indonesian culture, women or mothers are highly
regarded. Witness the fact that the word perempuan literally
means "the sovereign, the exalted, the wise."

Empu was a title given to monarchs, ministers and masters.
Empu Sindok is one of the first kings recorded in Javanese
history. Empu Mada, or Gajah Mada, was the prime minister of
Majapahit Kingdom in Java several centuries ago. Empu Gandring
was the smithy who forged the infamous kris for Ken Arok, and
cursed it when Ken Arok killed him with it.

Empu Tantular wrote the classic Sutasoma, from which we have
derived the immortal phrase "Bhinneka tunggal ika, tan hana darma
mangrua," ("Diverse, but one; God is not divided"). The first
half has become the Indonesian national slogan. Unfortunately,
people have been led to think that the diversity refers to ethnic
groups and cultures, whereas it is clearly a call for religious
harmony and tolerance, for the next line says, "There is no
Buddha, no Shiva; though bearing different names, God is one."

We know all about religious harmony and tolerance in
Indonesia. As Christmas approaches, it is such a relief to know
that security is being heightened at churches. The police are
deploying thousands of personnel to ensure that Christians can
carol in peace. Of course there still are some craven enough to
forego the traditional midnight service for fear of bombs.
Especially expatriates, who claim they have been warned by their
embassies to stay away.

To return to the subject of women or mothers. Although
language-wise the female of the species may have an exalted
position, in real life we have a very different picture. The
Women's Congress of 1928 was fighting for or against some things
which are unresolved to this day. Against: Trafficking in women
and children, child marriages, domestic violence. For: Better
health, especially the reproductive sector; access to education,
equal employment.

Trafficking in women is worse than ever, now. Last year,
Manado had the highest rate.

And do you know what the maternal mortality rate is in
Indonesia today? I stopped checking a few years ago. It was too
upsetting to find out that it is still incredibly high: about 700
times that of Norway, and only slightly less than Nepal. There is
no money to provide better prenatal care, better health centers,
better nutrition, and so on. Better meaning "affordable" or
"free".

However, there is plenty of money to raise the salaries and
expenses of the CEOs and their vicepersons, to raise the salaries
of the illustrious members of parliament who are well-known for
their somnolence in sessions, and to underwrite the "See the
Pyramids" fancy of some "studious" MPs. The latter said that they
were invited by the Egyptian legislature, but our zealous TV
journalists reported that the visit to the Egyptian confreres
took just over an hour.

Besides, there was only one Egyptian MP present to receive
them, and he was busy answering the phone for about 15 minutes.
He also presented them with a book about the Egyptian Parliament,
which in my opinion should make the Guinness Book of Records,
since it cost the Indonesian taxpayers Rp 750 million (US$
75,000).

As for education, same as above. Schools keep collapsing, and
if that is not bad enough, tuition and other sundry expenses
usually drive parents and even children to despair. Some have
even taken their own lives.

Let us bear in mind that the women who convened in Yogyakarta
78 years ago were very privileged. Many of them had a college
education -- at a time when, for example, in Germany less than 2
percent of the women had that privilege. They were certainly not
scrambling for political positions, nor were they fighting for
their own interests. Perhaps one could say that they were "living
for the sisterhood" -- i.e. empowering the weaker ones, making
room for the unprivileged, defending the rights of all.

In Greek, the word for power is exousia, which may be
translated as "outside one's being." True power is to be able to
stand outside one's own being, empathize with the condition of
others -- and then do something about it.

Remember that Mahatma Gandhi chose to go through life half
naked to remind the world of the millions of Indians who lived in
abject poverty. It isn't as if he couldn't afford a proper suit.

Why is it that we seem to have lost track of such models of
leadership, of power? Why do people strive for high positions to
inflate their egos and their bank accounts?

Nearly 1000 years ago, there was a Javanese princess whose
name is not recorded and is only known to us as Dharmaprasada
Uttunggadewi, a title bestowed upon her by her father, King
Erlangga. She was his eldest child, therefore he wanted her to
succeed him. From an early age he trained her to be a ruler. She
was Mahamatri i Hino (second only to the King) for a while and
even signed several prasasti (monuments) with him.

But she begged him to release her, to let her follow her
heart's desire, which was to become a hermit. She retired to the
cave of Selomangleng at Kediri in Eastern Java where she
meditated for many years until her death, and became known as
Dewi Kilisuci.

Feminists and other gender-concerned persons, take note of
that young princess of 1000 years ago! Not many of us may be
inclined to follow her option for the eternal since we are quite
comfortable in the temporal. But let us honor her, and the women
of 1928 by striving to make this world a better place. Let us ask
ourselves how we can best celebrate Women's Day and continue the
agenda of 1928.

If it must be called Mother's Day, then let this day be a
tribute to all women who are mothers because they are givers of
life, whether through physical childbirth or through spiritual
ideals.

The writer is a women's rights activist.