Ambassador affirms Indonesia must continue Kartini's struggle
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ambassador to Canada, Muhsin Syihab, has affirmed that Indonesia not only takes pride in having Kartini as a figure in the nation’s history but also bears the obligation and responsibility to continue her struggle and promote her noble values.
“Today, Indonesia stands as living proof of Kartini’s vision. A woman once led this nation as President. Indonesian women have also taken on strategic roles as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Maritime Affairs, Health, and Environment—facing and managing some of the most defining global challenges of our era,” he said.
The Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa organised “Indonesia’s Legacy of Women Empowerment: Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Inscription of Kartini’s Letters in the UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register through Culture” at the embassy on Thursday (23/4).
In a press release from the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa in Jakarta on Friday, the ambassador stated that in the context of diplomacy, the world is expected to see even more female heads of missions from Indonesia, as the recruitment of Indonesian diplomats in the last 1-2 decades has been dominated by women.
Meanwhile, Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab, who attended the event, expressed her admiration and emotion after watching a film about R.A. Kartini.
“R.A. Kartini’s letters are not merely historical documents, but a window into the thoughts of a young woman who boldly rejected the limitations of her time. Through her ideas on education, equality, and the power of knowledge, Kartini showed that progress is born when we dare to challenge conventions and open opportunities,” she said.
According to her, Kartini’s legacy continues to live on, inspiring women in Indonesia and around the world, and reminding us that when women are empowered, the entire society advances.
On that occasion, guests were treated to a short film about Kartini that depicted her struggle and her role in the emancipation of Indonesian women.
The film also highlighted how the nation’s founders had viewed women’s empowerment as important since the establishment of the Republic of Indonesia, where Maria Ulfa Santoso became Minister of Social Affairs in 1946.
Today, Indonesia has many inspirational female figures, including Sri Mulyani as the first female Finance Minister, Retno Marsudi as the first female Foreign Minister, and Armida Alisjahbana as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) since 2018 to the present.
The celebration of the recognition of Kartini’s letters as World Memory is hoped to be held at all Indonesian missions, as Kartini represents Indonesia’s soft power asset that is relevant across time and important to promote as the face of Indonesia’s progress, equality, and civilisation on the global stage.