Blink and you'll miss Kartini Day in Jakarta

JAKARTA (JP): Most Jakartans this year are apparently not concerned about Kartini Day, which commemorates the empowerment of Indonesian women and falls on Wednesday.

Many schools in the capital have no special events to mark the day, while some women even questioned the purpose of celebrating the day.

A female ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver, Nolia, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday she did not know who Kartini was.

"Maybe I've looked at her once on television," said Nolia, a woman in her late twenties who has never attended school.

When asked about the importance of Kartini's spirit for women to free themselves from societal oppression, Nolia, who picks up passengers around Jl. Prof. Satrio, Kuningan, in South Jakarta, said: "Now, the most important thing for me is to earn some money to support my life. I don't care about Kartini Day."

Although she did not care about Kartini Day, she seemed to be more independent than other well-educated women, who supposedly know much about the meaning of women's emancipation.

She lives alone and rents a room in a boarding house in East Kuningan, South Jakarta. She must compete with 60 other ojek drivers in th area in order to earn about Rp 15,000 per day.

"I always send part of my earnings to my family in Pekalongan, Central Java," said Nolia, one of only two female ojek drivers in the area.

Widjiyanti, a member of the Navy's Women Corps (Kowal) in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, said the women at the base had not organized any special event of their own to celebrate Kartini Day.

"We will be joining the Kartini Day ceremony on Wednesday, held by the Navy headquarters in Cilangkap in East Jakarta," she said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, representatives of some schools said Kartini Day coincided with the exam period.

"We are very busy preparing for the exams," said Musa, principal of Penabur Senior High School on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

The exams are scheduled for April 19 until April 26.

However, Musa admitted the school has not celebrated Kartini Day since 1993.

Syamsuddin, a Tanah Abang school teacher, said the initiative of teachers was crucial in getting the students interested in commemorating the event.

"The students will only follow their teachers' suggestions," said Syamsuddin, a teacher of religion at Kebon Melati Elementary School on Jl. Sabeni.

Lia, an elementary school student, said her school did not conduct special events to mark Kartini Day.

Saparinah Sadli, a noted psychologist and women's activist, said she did not care how Kartini Day was marked.

"Special events to celebrate Kartini day in schools are okay, but the more important thing is maintaining Kartini's spirit in women and students," Saparinah said.

The teachers should be more creative in passing on Kartini's ideas to their students, she said.

Kartini was born on April 21, 1879, in Mayong, Jepara, Central Java. Her father, Sosrodiningrat, and her mother, Ngasirah, were residents of Jepara.

During her life, Kartini was active in encouraging Javanese women to seek better education.

She gave lectures to local Jepara women.

Her disappointment in the educational backwardness of local women prompted her to send numerous letters to her friend in the Netherlands, J.H. Abendanon in 1897.

The letters titled "Door Duisternis Tot Licht" (From Darkness into Light) later became popular. (01)