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o other woman in Indonesian history has been subjected to as much scrutiny as RA Kartini (1879-1904), whose short but distinguished life we celebrate today. And we must not forget, either, the important contribution and support of her five sisters, in order of birth '€” Sulastri, Rukmini, Kardinah, Kartinah and Sumatri '€” and of her underrated and sometimes unfairly maligned husband, the regent of Rembang, RMAA Djojo Adhiningrat (1854-1912), in the realization of her dreams.

Since 1964, when Ibu Kartini received official acknowledgement as a '€œnational heroine'€ in recognition '€œof her struggle in pioneering the emancipation of Indonesian women'€, hardly a year passes that a book on the life of Kartini and
her plans for the future does not arrive on a publisher'€™s desk on par, without doubt, with Anne Frank (1929-1945), the famous German war-time diarist.

In the hundred years or so since the first publication of the Kartini letters, there have been major advances in all fields, interspersed with some hiccups along the way.

Most importantly, Indonesians were freed from colonial domination and soon after the proclamation of independence won world recognition of its national sovereignty.

Since then there have been wars and natural disasters and major revolutions in education (first full tertiary-level educational facilities), in medicine and in information technology, with computers and the smart phone making us much better informed than ever before.

There also came globalization, said to be panacea for all the world'€™s problems, after that we had the Asian and world-wide economic and financial problems, the likes of which we had not seen in our lifetime.    

Now, in the 70th year of Indonesian independence, which had to be fought for, every inch of the
way, is there still the desire at all levels to ensure that women in Indonesia and their families are not left behind?

Kartini defined the path to be taken '€œthrough darkness toward the light'€ through education and industry. In her day, she had it all: a life'€™s goal (to create a better world for the ordinary Javanese villager, especially for women and their children); a happy and supportive marriage; and a thorough determination to achieve her aims.

It is understandable that her premature death, at just 25, was tinged with great sadness around the country, that the fulfillment of her dreams had so suddenly been brought to an end.  

It was fortuitous, however, that her five sisters shared a similar desire for emancipation and were also eager to do something for their people and to break with the subordinate position of women.  

Almost by divine intervention, all five Kartini sisters lived beyond 70, Kardinah to 90, and were able to help fulfill Kartini'€™s dreams.      

To many Indonesians of today, both men and women, the challenges and disappointments of life are still there.

Materially, everything is available, yet the daily lives of many families continue to be a huge struggle.

Even in the greater urban area of Jakarta (Jabodetabek), the problems are immense. In the remote and outer islands, the situation is extreme.

Throughout the country, millions of women and children have not yet seen any major change in their situation. For them, survival is a major feat; a mother often not knowing what to give her children to eat and her small children having to go out to work to support the family.

As Kartini tried to do through batik-making, woodcarving and the like for her sisters in Java, we now need to find solutions for the nation as a whole.

Opportunities need to open up more widely than formerly. Thinking smart and being smart should be encouraged at all levels. Where once our forebears fought for independence '€” there'€™s a valid case that this began as far back as Prince Diponegoro'€™s Java War of 1825-1830 '€” well may we ask: is it not now time for the new generation of leaders to stand firm in fighting poverty and corruption, on every front and as never before?  

Indonesia is a rich country and only through such efforts can a better life and future be guaranteed for all.  

Those who want to do good and make our country better and manage it well should be given every encouragement to do so.

Everybody, from all walks of life, needs to play their part. This will make us feel proud.

The people come first. President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s government has made a promising start in focusing on what'€™s good for the people, for example, improving health availability and even the new maritime policies, a good idea, which could be adapted to better respond to the needs of the outlying island communities.

Today, it'€™s the small men and women that seem to be suffering the most, just as Kartini sought to change. The continued proliferation of big malls and supermarkets, at the expense of the small local traders and farmers and traditional markets, needs another look. The big concerns are killing off the small independent people.

Returning to an earlier comment, and to conclude these remarks, isn'€™t there something we could learn from those across the world who continue to be inspired by Anne Frank?

What'€™s being done in her name in Anne Frank Centers in New York, Amsterdam, Berlin, London and Basel and by Anne Frank Ambassadors worldwide, is quite phenomenal.

The projects include efforts to combat prejudice and discrimination and to establish equal rights and the freedom to one'€™s own identity. Would an independent RA Kartini Center with a focus on these and other related family-oriented issues really be of the question in present-day Indonesia?   
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The writer, a former employee of the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra, is married to Hindrati, a great granddaughter of Soemarjo Soemowidigdo, a brother-in-law of RA Kartini.