Author: Raden Adjeng Kartini

Raden Adjeng Kartini (1879-1904) was Indonesian political activist. Born to an aristocratic family in the Dutch East Indies, Kartini was educated from a young age at a Dutch-language primary school before being forced to quit her education before earning a degree. She gained attention as a letter writer, and her works were compiled and published to widespread interest and acclaim following her death. Writing to friends and acquaintances in Europe, Kartini described the social conditions for Indonesian women and protested the cultural norms that held many Javanese women back from participating in intellectual and professional life. She especially disdained the inability of Javanese women to obtain a higher education, as well as the practice of polygamy that favored men and hampered women’s autonomy. Kartini also advocated for vegetarianism throughout her life for moral and religious reasons. Although she hoped to further her studies abroad, Kartini’s parents encouraged her to marry an influential politician who, despite already having three wives, was supportive of his young bride and allowed her to establish a school for women in Rembang. Following her death in 1904 and the publication of her letters in 1911, Kartini became a national hero in Indonesia for her tireless advocacy of women’s rights and the need to effectively educate girls.