Kartini's Legacy: An Indonesian Feminist Symbol and National Heroine #WomenInWritingJournalismContest

Topic: Women in STEM & Politics

Raden Adjeng Kartini's name was constantly referenced in history classes as a prominent figure in campaigning for women's right to education in Indonesia. She was frequently compared to Malala Yousafzai. Yet, it wasn't until I saw her film that I appreciated how much she had contributed. Her example influenced many women not only in her community, but also throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. She was such a famous emancipation symbol that President Soekarno declared her birthday a national holiday in Indonesia in 1964, with ladies donning 'kebaya' in her honour. Her narrative, however, is about more than just wearing kebaya; it is about freeing women from the restraints that society has placed on them from birth.

Kartini, also known as Ibu Kartini, was born into a noble family in the late 1870s, which is why she was given the title 'Raden Adjeng' in her name. Her father, Sosroningrat, was a Javanese aristocrat who served as the Dutch colonial administration's governor of Japara Regency. Ngasirah, her mother, was Sosroningrat's first wife. Kartini and her sisters attended a Dutch elementary school till the age of 12, courtesy to their father's government post.

Kartini had 11 siblings, including half-siblings, but she was especially close to two of her sisters, Kardinah and Roekmini, because they were closer in age. The trio referred to themselves as ‘the clover leaf’. They had all spent time in solitude together. Seclusion, also known as 'pingitan,' is a period of time during which Javanese adolescent females were traditionally isolated until a suitable husband arrived to take them away and give them a role in society. They were fortunate because their father, Sosroningrat, was lenient on them during their four years of seclusion, allowing them to study Dutch and do other activities that are usually not allowed to.

During this period, they developed a few friends with some notable Dutch women and men by sending letters back and forth.  This is one of the factors that was mostly responsible for the emancipation movement in Indonesia. Their penpals exposed them to the feminist ideology in Europe. Mixed with their Javanese origin, it had prompted 'the clover leaves sisters' to advocate for the rights of indigenous Indonesian women, who had poor social status at the time. In the nineteenth century, they partnered in fighting against Javanese customs and socio-political standards by publishing articles in a variety of Dutch magazines.

Through darkness to light: Ideas on and for the Javanese People, or 'Habis Terang Terbitlah Terang,' which is Kartini’s most influential and famous book, was compiled by Jacques Abendanon, a former director of Native Education in the Dutch East Indies in 19111. His wife was one of the main recipients of Kartini's letter. The book is made up of 95 edited letters or letter snippets that Kartini wrote to ten different people between 1899 and 1904.

Kartini highlighted her hopes in the collected letters about fighting for women's rights in education and eradicating the ridiculous cultural norms that women confront in her community. During her reign, only people with priyayi status (the Dutch-era class of nobles; the descendants of the adipati or governors) or queens and princesses, mainly aristocratic wives, had a better life than other women, particularly in terms of education. Women, regardless of social background, should have their own educational autonomy, according to Kartini. Not by forcing every woman to get an education, but by ensuring that they have the freedom to choose and are not hindered.

She was particularly critical of women's roles during her time, which she saw as overly domesticated. Women were viewed as a tool for reproduction, and women were not afforded the same educational opportunities as males. They were forced to marry for the sole purpose of having offspring and spreading their legacy. Not only that, but women are frequently forced to engage in polygamy. Kartini had witnessed the immediate effects of this because her mother had been the first wife in her marriages.

Not only that, but Kartini criticised Javanese social standing. This was demonstrated by the difficulties Kartini's biological mother faced as a woman without a title. Despite living in the same gated neighbourhood as Kartini, according to social statuses, Kartini was compelled to call her own mother 'Yu', a name for a female domestic staff, whereas Ngasirah is required to call her own daughter 'Ndoro,' which means employer. According to Kartini, this preposterous, distant, and formal relationship imposed by societal regulations had to be eradicated.

Despite her efforts to advance women's rights in marriage and education, Kartini was unable to escape the traditional norm of arranged marriage. She resolved, however, to make her own life a model for freedom by agreeing to marry the Regent of Rembang, a progressive Javanese official. In exchange, she requested the establishment of a Javanese school. Due to the popularity of her novel, From Darkness into Light, it attracted support in the Netherlands for the Kartini Foundation, which opened the first girls' schools in Java in 1916, realizing Kartini's dream. Her ideas were also taken up by Indonesian students studying at Dutch universities, and an Indonesian version of the letters, originally written in Dutch, was published in 1922. 

Kartini died at the age of 25 on September 17, 1904. Despite her untimely demise, she left behind an unique presence that has inspired numerous women and men in Indonesia and around the world. Her legacy has left an indelible mark on Indonesian culture and society. Her support for women's rights inspired a generation of women to strive for gender equality in their own way. Her work has influenced current Indonesian education, which has made considerable gains in recent years to promote gender equality and create opportunities for girls and women to flourish.

Milo, 

10th March 2023.