"R.A KARTINI's Day 2010"

Aslkm. Wr. Wb.

Hy today is 21^st April 2010, today is the day of woman hero in my country. Raden Ayu Kartini is her name. Kartini was born into an aristocratic Javanese family in a time when Java was still part of the Dutch colony, the Dutch East Indies. Kartini’s father, Raden Mas Sosroningrat, became Regency Chief of Jepara, her mother was Raden Mas. Kartini was the fifth child and second eldest daughter in a family of eleven, including half sibling. She was born into a family with a strong intellectual tradition. Kartini’s family allowed her to attend school until she was 12 years old. Here, among other subject, she learnt to speak fluent Dutch, an unusual accomplishment for Javanese woman at the time. After she turned 12, she was ‘secluded’ at home, a common practice among Javanese nobility, to prepare young girls for their marriage. During seclusion girls were not allowed to leave their parent’s house until they were married, at which point authority over them was transferred to their husbands.

Kartini’s father was more lenient than some during his daughter’s seclusion, giving her such privileges lessons and occational apperances in public for special events. During her seclusion, Kartini continued to educate herself on her own. Because Kartini could speak Dutch, she acquired several Dutch pen friends. One of them, a girl by the name of Rosa Abendanon, became her very close friend. Books, newspaper and European magazines fed Kartini’s interest in European feminist thinking, and fostered the desire to improve the condition of indigenous women, who at that time had very low social status. Kartini’s concerns were not just in the area of the emancipation of women, but also the problems of her society. Kartini saw that the struggle for women to obtain their freedom, autonomy and legal equality was just part of a wider movement.

Kartini’s parents arranged her marriage to Raden Adipati Joyodiningrat, the regency Chief of Rembang, who already had three wives. She was married on the November 12^th 1903. This was against Kartini’s wishes, but she acquiesced to appease her ailing father. Her husband undestood Krtini’s aims and allowed her to establish a school for women in the east porch of the Rembang Regency Office complex. Kartini’s only son was born on September 13^th, 1904. A few days later on September 17^th, 1904, Kartini died at the age of 25. She was buried in Bulu Village, Rembang. Inspired by Kartini’s example, the Van Deventer family establish the Kartini Foundation which built schools for women, ‘Kartini’s School’ in Semarang in 1912, followed by other areas. In 1964, President Sukarno declared Kartini’s birth date, April 21^st, as ‘Kartini Day’-an Indonesian National Holiday. This decision has been criticised. Every school from kindergarten and elementary school usually have special events like poem, reading competition, drawing competition, modelling competition (girl wear a costume like Ibu Kartini’s personal bolongings).

In contrast, those who recognise the significance of Kartini argue that not only was she a feminist who elevated the status of women in Indonesia, she was also a nationalist figure, with new ideas who struggled on behalf of her people, including her in the national struggle for independence.

So, I hope thet women must get knowledge as mush as we can, because nowadays we have a freedom to get it. It is easier than before era. We should also appreciate the struggle of hero before us that had given a big revolution to our country. And I hope in Indonesia will be born a new Kartini that wanna struggle for education importance.

=D

Wass. Wr. Wb.