People Who Inspire Me

R.A KARTINI

Raden Ajeng kartini or sometimes known as Raden Ayu Kartini is a national heroine from Java. She  was a lso a pioneer in the area of education for girls and women's rights for Indonesians. She was born in Jepara, 21 April 1879. She comes from a noble family. Her father, Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat was the district chief of Mayong and became Regency Chief of Jepara. Her mother, M.A Ngasirah was the first wife of Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat. Sosroningrat married twice. His second wife is Woerjam, a direct descendants of the Raja of Madura because Ngasirah was not of sufficiently high nobility. After Sosroningrat second marriage, he was elevated to Regency Chief of Jepara. She is the 5th child of 11 brothers and sisters coming from her biological and stepmother. Among her siblings from her biological mother, she is the eldest daughter.

Kartini studied in ELS (Europese Legare School). She learned Dutch language there. When she was 12 years old, she quit from her school because she had to do "pingit". Pingit is a traditional Javanese rule that required a woman to not to go outside before marriage. On 12 November 1983, Kartini married Raden Adipati Joyodiningrat.

Even though Kartini was married, she continued her study. She studied from magazines and newspapers from Europe. Kartini and her friends made a women's school at 1912 in Semarang. The school taught girls and women how to read and write. She wrote letters to her friends in Netherlands. One of them is Rosa Abendanon which strongly supported Kartini’s idea. She also often wrote for Dutch women’s magazine De Hollandsche Lelie several times.

A year of marriage, Kartini was blessed with a son named Soesalit Djojoadhiningrat. Her son born on 13 September 1904. However, four days after giving birth, Kartini passed away. She died on 17 September 1904 at the age of 25 years. She was burried at Bulu Village, Kabupaten Rembang, Central Java

Even though she has passed away, Kartini's struggle from her letters had important meaning for the Indonesian women. One of them, “Duisternis DOOR TOT Licht”, which means “Through Darkness to Light. For her contribution, she was awarded as Indonesian national hero because of her ideas which improve Indonesian women level, on May 2 1964 and Kartini's day on 21 April.