Biography

 Raden Adjeng Kartini

Raden Adjeng Kartini or Lady Kartini born in Jepara, Central Java on April 21, 1879. Her father is Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat and her mother is Ngasirah. Kartini is the fifth child of eleven siblings from her biological mother and also from her stepmother. At that time, polygamy was common practice among nobility.

Kartini was born in a family with a strong intellectual tradition. Kartini’s family allowed her to attend school until she was 12 years old. She studied at ELS School (Europese Lagere School). She studied Dutch language, so that she can speak Dutch language quite well. But, by the age 12 she quit school because she had to be secluded “pingit” at home, a rule of Javanese nobility that forbid woman to go outside before marriage. During her “pingit” time, she still tried to study with her own way. With her ability to speak dutch, she gathered several Dutch friends. She read a lot of books, magazines, and European newspaper about European feminist thinking and it made her had more desire to improve the condition of indigenous of Indonesian women that had a very low status at that time. Kartini’s was not only concern about the emancipation of women, but also the problem of her society. At that time, women were struggle to obtain their freedom and equality.

Kartini then married Joyodiningrat, the Regency Chief of Rembang. They married on November 12, 1903. Kartini actually didn’t want to get married at such a young age, but she accept it to respect her father. Kartini’s husband understood Kartini’s dream and he allowed her to establish a school for women in the east porch of the Rembang Regency Office Complex. On September 13, 1904, Kartini gave birth to her only son. A few days later Kartini died on September 17, 1904. She died at the age of 25. She was buried in Bulu village, Rembang.

After her death, the family of Van Deventer was inspired by Kartini’s example. Then, they established the R.A Kartini Foundation that built school for women. They opened the school in Semarang in 1912, followed by the other schools in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Malang, Madiun, Cirebon, and others. Mr. J.H Abendanon, the minister for Culture, Religion, and Industry in the East Indies collected and published the letters that she sent to her friends in Europe. The books was titled Door Duisternis tot Licht (Out of Dark Comes Light) and it was published in 1911.

In 1964, President Soekarno declared Kartini’s birth date on April 21 as “Kartini’s day”. Kartini was not only a feminist who elevated the status of Indonesian women, but she was also a nationalist figure with new ideas who struggled on behalf of her people and played a role in the national struggle independence. She was Indonesia national heroin.

Why is she inspired me?

She is very kind and strives for justice in gender equality and she always working very hard for it then she get it.