Kartini Today, Kartini Around Us

Yesterday, 21 April 2026, the nation once again commemorated Kartini Day. A date that arrives each year with the same question: “Have we truly continued the struggle that was bequeathed to us?” Raden Ajeng Kartini passed away more than a century ago, but her letters, compiled in “Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang” (After Darkness Comes Light), remain an enduring beacon. Kartini not only fought for women’s right to education but also for women to be regarded as complete human beings, with minds, voices, and the right to determine their own life paths. However, this year’s Kartini Day is overshadowed by dark clouds. In the past week, the public has been shocked by a series of sexual violence cases uncovered almost simultaneously at several leading Indonesian universities, including Universitas Indonesia, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Institut Pertanian Bogor, Universitas Padjadjaran, and others. At UI’s Faculty of Law, 16 students are suspected of forming a chat group containing verbal harassment content against 20 female students and 7 lecturers. The Indonesian Education Monitoring Network recorded 233 cases of violence in academic settings from January 2026 to March 2026, with sexual violence accounting for 46 percent. The Commission X of the DPR even summoned four universities for a special meeting on 20 April 2026 to discuss the emergency of sexual violence on campuses, just one day before Kartini Day. On a day that should celebrate women’s progress, campuses—which ought to be fortresses of knowledge and civilisation—are instead facing a mirror that shows Kartini’s struggle is far from over. Campuses are not merely places for knowledge transfer but environments that shape perspectives, foster empathy, and instil values on how to treat fellow humans. When a students’ digital chat group contains content that degrades women’s dignity, it is clearly not just a rule violation but a betrayal of all the values that higher education should cultivate. Amid this distressing news, allow me to share about two young women who, to me, embody the spirit of Kartini today. Najwa Rashika Az-Zahra Raharema, our eldest daughter, is awaiting graduation from Institut Teknologi Bandung with a focus on Aerospace Engineering. Currently on a study exchange at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Najwa is also applying for the ASEAN-UK Women in STEM Scholarships from Cranfield University in the UK. This scholarship is for women from ASEAN countries pursuing Master’s degrees in STEM fields. Najwa has chosen a field traditionally seen as a male domain and has dreamed of it since school. Her younger sister, Neisya Reehanna Ayesha Raharema, currently in year 11, has been selected to represent her school in two events: the National Science Olympiad in Chemistry and the Indonesian Student Research Olympiad in Biology for 2026. Two young women, two different fields, but with the same spirit of diligent learning and no room for self-doubt about their abilities. Today, on the same day this article is written, Neisya’s school is holding a Parents’ Meeting with a highly relevant theme: “Navigating Higher Education: Building Synergy Between Parents and Teenagers.” This meeting invites parents of year 11 students to jointly prepare their children’s steps towards university. Beneath the theme of navigation lies a great hope that every child stepping into higher education, whether girl or boy, arrives in an environment that is safe, dignified, and truly supports the growth of their potential. Najwa and Neisya have grown up in an environment that believes women have the right and ability to reach the highest levels of knowledge. However, belief alone is not enough. They also need institutions that serve as places of learning and protection. Universities and schools bear a dual responsibility: to encourage women to pursue knowledge as high as possible, while ensuring that journey is not marred by threats, harassment, or insecurity. The Task Force for the Prevention and Handling of Sexual Violence, mandated by Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Regulation Number 55 of 2024, is not merely an administrative obligation but a firm statement from institutions that every woman studying there deserves protection. At Universitas Amikom Yogyakarta, commitment to a safe and dignified campus environment is an non-negotiable responsibility for the entire academic community. Learning spaces must be empowering for everyone, without exception. Kartini wrote in her letters of dreaming about women who are free, who can think and act without being chained by prejudices. Today, that dream is being realised by thousands of young women in laboratories, classrooms, and science olympiad arenas across Indonesia. Yet, that dream is also being tested by the reality that some still view women as objects, not subjects. Kartini’s struggle is not finished, and it will not end with ceremonies and kebaya attire. The spirit of Kartini must drive every woman to continue learning and creating in true security and equality. Allah SWT states: “The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (QS. At-Taubah: 71). Forbidding what is wrong means not staying silent when women are harassed, not turning away when someone’s dignity is trampled. Happy Kartini Day. Wallahu a’lam.