Kartini power

Kartini power

Forget "People Power" in the Philippines! Even forget "Student
Power" in Indonesia, if such a thing exists! But please do not
forget "Kartini Power" especially in the month of April when the
nation commemorates Kartini Day, on April 21.

The celebration is compulsory for women and girls who usually
dress up in kebaya (Javanese traditional blouse) and kain batik
(batik sarong) on that day. I suspect that our female television
presenters are already imagining themselves appearing extra
attractive on screen on that day.

But Kartini, who was a Javanese beauty herself, dedicated her
life to the betterment of the women of her time who still lived
in bondage. She was especially obsessed with equal education for
males and females of her time. She couldn't care less about
looks.

Her influence on the people and leaders of this country was,
and still is, immense. After her death, the Dutch allowed schools
to be named after her. There is a popular magazine now called
Kartini. Supratman, composer of the national anthem, dedicated a
song to her. If you pass Jl. Imam Bonjol and stop in front of the
National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) building you will
notice a statue in kebaya dedicated to Kartini. (IMF people must
see it, too)

If you have been to Rome or Paris and seen the statues there,
you certainly will wonder about the small size of the Kartini
statue. Compared to its imposing surroundings and the famous
Taman Suropati residential area (the Vice President, Jakarta
governor and ambassadors reside nearby), it is, in my opinion,
absolutely misplaced. The Kartini statue would be all very well
inside the building, But outside, in the open air, it seems a
mockery, as if it were mocking Kartini's merits. In my opinion
she deserves to stand on a higher platform. After all, she was a
hero to many women! Where she now stands, she looks like a dwarf
instead of a giant personality.

The creation of a special ministry (of women's affairs) in
both the Sukarno and Soeharto administrations only indicates the
great influence and strength of Kartini's almost mystical power.

Unfortunately, the plight of today's Kartinis have been
practically unaffected as seen by the droves of women seeking
employment overseas. Child labor and child prostitution are still
rife.

While Kartini looked down and contemplated the position of the
rural people, women leaders in the post-Kartini era felt more
challenged in looking up to their superiors. I doubt and often
wonder if under a Pancasila welfare society, the numerous women
jamu (herbal medicine) vendors with heavy burdens on their backs,
would be allowed to make their daily rounds.

If you ever have a chance to travel to Central Java, do not
fail to visit the town of Rembang, accessible by road via Cirebon
or Magelang. It would be unsurprising if you heard Kartini
weeping from the grave, if she knew that like her, many women,
according to WHO statistics, still die a tragic death during
childbirth. Their numbers are staggering.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta