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Female force: Kartini's legacy inspiring today’s changemakers
Through her letters, she challenged injustice. Now, in an era shaped by digital voices and collective movements, her voice continues to inspire generations.
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Feminine feats: Actress and activist Maudy Ayunda speaks at a press conference following her performance in Terbitlah Terang: Pembacaan Surat dan Gagasan Kartini on April 21, Kartini Day, in Jakarta. Seated alongside Maudy were actresses Ratna Riantiaro (fifth left), Happy Salma (fifth right) and Cinta Laura (fourth right). (JP/Sylviana Hamdani)
M
ore than a century ago, from within the walls of domestic seclusion, Raden Ajeng Kartini (1879–1904) dared to imagine a different future. Through her letters, she challenged injustice, questioned patriarchy and envisioned a world where Indonesian women could learn, speak up and lead. Now, in an era shaped by digital voices and collective movements, her voice continues to inspire generations.
Every April 21, Kartini Day reminds Indonesians of her vision; not just as a tribute to the past, but as a call to action. This year, Kartini’s spirit resonated anew through contemporary changemakers in the arts, fashion and activism, who channel her ideals in their efforts to empower women and foster equality.
Ideas as resistance
“Kartini’s struggle was quite different from that of Cut Nyak Dien, Keumalahayati or Christina Martha Tiahahu, who fought the colonizers through physical resistance,” said veteran actress Christine Hakim during a discussion titled “A Sip of Legacy: Kartini’s Spirit in Today’s Women” at Wisma Habibie & Ainun, Jakarta, on April 21.
“Kartini challenged traditional boundaries through her ideas.”
In the 2017 film Kartini, Christine portrayed Ngasirah, Kartini’s mother, a woman treated as second-class in her own home due to her non-aristocratic descent. That injustice, Christine believes, deeply influenced Kartini’s fight for equality.
“And when Kartini had to choose between accepting a Dutch government scholarship or marrying, in order to remain close to her ailing father, she chose to marry,” Christine revealed. “But she did so under certain conditions. One of them was that her mother’s room, which had been at the back of the house, be moved to the front.”
