Indonesia marks Kartini Day every 21st April, honouring a revered figure in the nation’s history known for championing women’s rights during the Dutch colonial era. Kartini, a Javanese woman, defied societal norms by advocating for women’s education when it was frowned upon, challenging the prevailing notion that women should solely be confined to domestic roles. Despite marrying a man with multiple wives, she staunchly opposed polygamy, asserting women’s rights beyond mere companionship.
However, contemporary criticisms question why Kartini is elevated above other female heroes in Indonesia, such as Dewi Sartika of West Java, Christina Martha Tiahahu of Molucca, Cut Nyak Dien of Aceh, etc. Some people living outside Java argue that celebrating Kartini’s Day reinforces Javacentric influence in Indonesia. It can be true because the New Order of the Soeharto Regime reduced her image to that of a traditional, submissive woman by commemorating her through women wearing traditional dress (Ruitang, 2016). Celebrations of Kartini Day perpetuate stereotypes of femininity, reinforcing the idea that women’s primary role is within the household (Ruitang, 2016).
To date, Kartini is synonymous with women’s emancipation. Since I was a kid, there hasn’t been a woman’s name mentioned as often as Kartini’s. Let’s examine how female heroines in Indonesia strived for equality before Kartini.
Before Kartini and the school for girls in Sulawesi in 1881
Raden Ajeng Kartini was born in Jepara, Central Java, on April 21, 1879, into a noble Javanese family. Two years after Kartini’s birth, in 1881, a school and dormitory for girls were already established in Tomohon, sponsored by Rev. Jan Louwerier, a Dutch pastor (Rijkers, 2020). According to the Minahasa historian Bode Talumewo, the school and dormitory later became known as the “Sekolah Nona” (Young Ladies’ School). Although founded by the Dutch, the interest and enthusiasm of women in Tomohon at that time were already high. Bode Talumewo added that awareness of organizing had also begun with the formation of the Christian Women’s Association in Tondano in 1867, a religiously oriented women’s organization. It was only in 1918 that the School of Proficiency for Girls, or PIKAT, was established by Walanda-Maramis, a native of Minahasa (Rijkers, 2020).
The opening of opportunities for women in North Sulawesi to pursue education, even in school dormitories, was related to the egalitarian culture of the Kawanua people. Therefore, it is not surprising that quite a few women were able to attend higher education. In 1922, Marie Thomas, a Kawanua woman, was the first female doctor in Indonesia to graduate from the Dutch School of Medicine Stovia in Jakarta. The title of the first female law doctor in Indonesia also belonged to a Kawanua woman named Annie Manoppo.
Before Kartini and the Sakola Istri by Dewi Sartika in West Java
If Kartini in Jepara, Central Java, struggled to attend higher education and establish her own school, Dewi Sartika in West Java had already founded the “Sakola Istri” (School for Women) in 1903. In addition to opening schools, Dewi Sartika wrote a book in Sundanese titled “Kaoetamaan Istri” (The Importance of Women) in 1911, published in 1912. This means that the awareness of the importance of education for women was not only felt by Kartini (Rijkers, 2020).
Additionally, Dewi Sartika was named by Kartini when she wrote a letter to her pen pal in The Netherlands, Stella Zeehandelaar, mentioning that Dewi Sartika was her role model in establishing a school.
Women in North Sulawesi had already pursued education in dormitories, and Dewi Sartika established schools. So why is Kartini considered the trailblazer?
Kartini’s ‘failure’ of her dreams
Kartini is indeed known for her desire to pursue education. Through a series of letters she wrote to Stella, Kartini poured out her heartache of being confined within the walls of her house since the age of twelve. She harboured a strong desire to study in the Netherlands, but this turned into becoming a teacher in Batavia (the former name for Jakarta). When she finally had the opportunity to go to Batavia for schooling, Kartini decided to marry a man who already had three wives, despite her opposition to arranged marriages and polygamy. She married the Regent of Rembang, K.R.M. Adipati Ario Singgih Djojo Adhiningrat, a man chosen by her parents. This marriage contradicted the contents of Kartini’s previous letters.
Until this point, many Indonesian people still haven’t fully grasped what inspires people about Kartini. It’s true that Kartini was a young girl with a broad perspective despite being confined. It’s also true to say that Kartini fought for women’s emancipation. But is she deserving of special commemoration and considered more exceptional than other female fighters? When referring to resistance against Dutch colonialism, Kartini had the privilege of having close ties to the Dutch. Unlike Cut Nyak Dien, Cut Meutia, and Christina Martha Tiahahu, who took up arms against the Dutch. Cut Meutia even had to move around the forests of Pasai for 11 years to evade Dutch pursuers.
Furthermore, Kartini’s schools were only established in 1913 in Semarang, initiated by the Kartini Foundation (Kartini Vereeniging), which consisted of Kartini’s friends from the Netherlands. One of them is Conrad T. van Deventer, who wrote an article in the Netherlands stating that the country had a moral obligation to invest in Indonesia for the welfare of the Indonesian people. Indirectly, Kartini’s dreams and ideas were realised by van Deventer by establishing 14 schools for thousands of women from 1913 to 1942 through Van Deventer-Maas Foundation in collaboration with Kartini Foundation.
This fact raises debate: why do we celebrate Kartini’s day then?
Kartini’s thoughts are beyond identity and generation
Although Kartini was not the direct founder of schools and not the first in her era, there are so many things we can learn from her, particularly on spirituality and gender equality issues.
Kartini wrote, “Even if one does not become pious, one can still be kind-hearted, isn’t that so, Stella? And ‘kind-heartedness’ is what matters most. Religion, in its essence, is meant to bestow grace upon humanity, so that there is a connection in the bond of kinship among all creatures of God,” (Pane, nd). Kartini wrote extensively about her views on religion, concluding with the sentence, “Those who have great compassion, with great sorrow, end up separating. Because of the difference in places of calling upon God, that very same God, a wall is erected to separate compassionate hearts. Is religion truly a blessing for humanity? I often ask myself with a troubled heart. Religion should keep us from sinning, but how many sins are committed in the name of religion!” (Pane, nd).
As a Muslim girl, she endeavoured to embody the teachings by requesting her teacher to translate the holy book of the Quran, which was solely in Arabic at that time, into Javanese. Her devotion to the practice of Islam was to do good without harbouring hatred towards followers of different beliefs and religions. She also embraced and respected every difference. She didn’t reject being referred to as a Buddhist child. She also welcomed Pandita Ramabai, a Protestant figure from India, as a hero to her own soul. She taught a life filled with respect, prioritizing human values and rejecting fanaticism towards religious identity. She even criticized those who used religion as a pretext, causing injustice to women.
Kartini, who was powerless to determine her own future, surprisingly dared to challenge the maturity of society’s spirituality, sow hope for peace among fellow worshippers of God, and promote tolerance that has faded in Indonesia. “As far as we understand, the most beautiful and sacred religion is compassion. And to live according to this noble command, must one absolutely become a Christian? Buddhists, Brahmans, Jews, Muslims, even infidels can live with pure compassion,” wrote Kartini, who died young after giving birth to her first child. Kartini’s wisdom transcends her age, which ended at the age of 25 (Rijkers, 2020).
Her critiques on religion were caused by injustice for women who were treated unequally in marriage through the practice of polygamy and poor attitude in the name of religion. During the era of seclusion imposed on young girls from the age of 12 to await arranged marriages, Kartini resisted until the age of 23 to avoid marriage. This was an unusual act at the time, especially for Kartini, who was born into an aristocratic family. However, despite her resistance, she was ultimately bound by tradition and married the Regent of Rembang, Djoyoadiningrat, in 1903. A year later, on September 13, 1904, Kartini gave birth to RM Soesalit, and less than a week after giving birth, precisely on September 17, 1904, her life came to an end (Misiyah, 2024).
Four years prior, Kartini wrote a letter that was both heavy and crucial for the women’s struggle. She said, “the path I wish to tread is difficult, full of thorns, thistles, and pits; it is rocky, steep, slippery… not yet paved! And even if I am not fortunate enough to reach the end of that road, even if I am about to break in the middle of the road, I will die happy. Because that road is already open and I descend to help pave the way to the freedom and independence of indigenous women,” (Pane, nd).
It has been over a century since Kartini passed away, yet her spirit of struggle still burns. Kartini is a secluded woman unfamiliar with higher education and lacking life experience beyond her short 25 years on earth, yet her thoughts transcend space and time. Kartini’s pen strokes express her longing for equality between women and men in education and marriage, equality of class without the obligation to bow down before the nobles, whom Kartini opposed, and equality between the indigenous people and the Dutch.
It is, therefore, our responsibility to continue her struggle. It is a collective responsibility to emancipate women from the shackles of patriarchy and to advocate for justice and equality for women with their diverse identities in all social, cultural, economic, and political sectors.
References
Misiah, 2024. DW https://www.dw.com/id/perjuangan-kartini-melintas-batas-identitas/a-68855517, accessed on 20 April 2024.
Pane, A. nd. Habis Gelap Terbitlah Terang. Balai Pustaka. 978-602-260-328-3
Rijkers, M. 2020. DW. https://www.dw.com/id/mengapa-harus-kartini-yang-diperingati-secara-khusus/a-53107436, accessed on 20 April 2024.
Ruitang, BA. 2016. Medium. https://medium.com/@bobyandika/kartini-and-indonesia-s-conception-of-feminism-ae1af979205b, accessed on 20 April 2024.
