Kartini and Daycare: Between Celebration and Mothers' Anxiety

April is almost over. As in previous years, the public is once again treated to exuberant Kartini Day celebrations, featuring colourful kebaya fashion shows accompanied by heavy make-up, and narratives of emancipation that unfortunately often remain superficial. Supposedly, this is the way to commemorate her noble services. However, behind these celebrations, the reality faced by Indonesian women reveals an irony that has never truly been resolved. Amid the fanfare of Kartini Day, the public was once again shocked by distressing news from a childcare centre (daycare) in Yogyakarta. A place that should be a safe space for children is suspected to have become a site of violence. This case has shaken many parties. Those who must daily balance work demands with anxiety and a question that never truly fades—whether their children are truly safe when left behind? For working mothers, incidents like this are not merely news. They serve as an alarm that the choice to work often faces risks that question not only careers but more. The problem is, this tragedy is not the first time. Public memory still holds similar cases in Depok, as well as various stories of violence against children entrusted to household caregivers. The pattern repeats: parents are forced to leave their children due to work demands, while protection and supervision systems remain weak. In many cases, the available choices are not ideal but forced ones. This event should not be viewed as a single incident. It reflects a more fundamental issue, namely that the support system for women, especially working mothers, has not yet fully formed and operates adequately. For many women, working is no longer a completely free choice. It is an economic necessity, self-actualisation, even survival. However, the state’s policies today have not yet provided an adequate foundation to support that choice.