Indonesia

Mrs. R. A. HIDAJAT, Vice-Chairman Indonesian Constituent Assembly

The items on the agenda of this Congress induced me to attend the IVth Congress of the W.I.D.F.

The points I wish to make are very short but they reflect the desires and ideals of humanity in general; I mean the duties of women, especially as world citizens.

Is it not the duty of each person to defend and maintain peace for the sake of their lives, to make efforts to avoid destruction of life, and to make life happier?

Should woman not fulfil her multiple role, her role as a woman, wife, mother and citizen with full consciousness?

Is it not right that we as mothers should find a good and peaceful place to educate our children where they can realise the meaning of the words "peace" and "friendship" between one another with understanding?

The present world seems to become smaller and smaller because communications are better and there is a closer association which should mean a better association too.

These are my conclusions, and I hope that the three items mentioned above may be discussed and developed with good results, as we all have hoped for.

I am certain that all of you participating in this Congress, coming from so many countries, being capable and competent, will find the best solution to these questions which are being discussed at this Congress.

In conclusion I would like to express to you my gratitude at having the opportunity to attend this Congress, which will forever remain a valuable memory.

Mrs. MUDIGDIO, Head of the Indonesian Delegation, Vice President of Gerwani (Indonesian Women's Movement)

The Indonesian Delegation, representing the Indonesian Women's Movement (Gerwani), and women supporting the struggle of Gerwani, extends, on behalf of 663,740 Gerwani members, the warmest fraternal greetings to this great Congress of the W.I.D.F.

For 12 years the W.I.D.F. has played a significant role and has made a great impression on the struggle of women throughout the world. The Declaration of Women's Rights adopted at the Copenhagen Congress lays down a clear line for our work in each of our countries. This Declaration is a great inspiration to women who are struggling in many countries and it has inspired millions of women with different political views.

The W.I.D.F. Congress, which is being held at a very dangerous moment in international affairs, when peace is threatened, is therefore very important and of great significance for the fight to save mankind.

We welcome the steps taken by the government of the Soviet Union, which has firmly resolved to terminate atom- and hydrogen bomb-tests unilaterally. We urge the government of the U.S.A. and Britain to follow the example of the Soviet Union.

The majority of men and women in the world, including those of Asia and Africa, desire peaceful coexistence, as laid down in the principle of the Bandung Conference. But the instigators of war are still indulging in aggressive acts, as they did in Egypt during the Suez Canal conflict, and in Algeria, where the people are fighting for their liberation and where the heroine, Djamila Bouhired, has become the symbol of their fight. The same pattern has been followed in other African countries and also in Indonesia, too, where they are interfering in our internal affairs.

However, the people of the world cannot remain indifferent towards all these criminal attempts by imperialism to unleash a new war and to suppress the national liberation movements.

The Indonesian people who are now fighting for their full national independence are, together with the Armed Forces and their Government, unanimously determined to oppose any measure or step of the Dutch to maintain their control of West Irian. The fight of the Indonesian people is directed towards ending the economic contol of the Dutch by taking over Dutch enterprises, including plantations, sugar factories and other enterprises.

In the midst of the resistance of the Indonesian people, treasonable activity and disorder arose, stirred up by foreign forces. Foreign intervention by USA and SEATO was exposed when they dropped weapons for the PRRI (selfstyled rebellion government) and when they bombed Indonesian territory.

These acis of intervention of the USA in the Phillippines and Taiwan cannot be covered up. President Sukarno sharply oriticised these acts and called them not only intervention but aggression, which must therefore be opposed.

It goes without saying that we were supported from the countries and peoples of Asia and Africa, who have adhered to the principles of Bandung and Cairo, from the countries and peoples of the Socialist camp, and from the people of the imperialist countries themselves, who oppose their governments policies of spreading confusion and wars in other countries. It is precisely because of this great international solidarity that the Indonesian people become fully convinced that these imperialist wars of intervention can be defeated.

We believe that this Congress will be able to render a great contribution to the strengthening of the fight for national independence, and we also believe that this stand will be supported by the women of the imperialist countries themselves. Such support has been shown by a group of American women who sent us their greetings and best wishes for the victory of the Indonesian women's struggle.

The main points of discussion as presented in the report are a correct formulation of the line of women's struggle and we therefore warmly endorse them. In Indonesia, conditions are still backward, semifeudal and colonial in character, with a very dependent economy and underdeveloped industry. Naturally the life of our women is still backward.

The principle of women participating in production has been understood, but Indonesian women are still struggling to put it into practice. We are learning from our sisters in the Soviet Union, in China and other people's democracies, who are constructing their socialist economy, so Indonesian women know that they can look forward to a bright future and to real emancipation. We are of the opinion that for the women's movement in Asian and African countries greater attention must be paid to the problem of peasant women.

On a rising tide of anti-colonialism, Gerwani is actively trying to broaden its organisation, membership and activities. At its third national congress in December 1957, attended by Mrs Maddalena Rossi and Mrs Zeisat Dejeddaouwi from Egypt as delegates from the W.I.D.F., we decided to change the constitution and to adopt an improved programme, making it easier to broaden the women's movement. Resolutions were adopted on the increase in the price of rice, and protests against assaults on women committed in several regions. Other important resolutions on West Irian, peace, co-operation and demanding a just marriage law were also passed.

Co-operation

In the field of co-operation with other women's organisations, especially in the fight for women's rights, constant efforts are made to find points of agreement. An example of this was the preparation of the Indonesian delegation for the Asian-African Women's Conference held in Colombo, which was decided on in co-operation with the Indonesian Women's Congress. Although this conference did not take decisions, it was welcomed as the start of friendly relations and mutual understanding between women of Asia and Africa which can be developed in the future. The protest actions against the death sentence imposed on the Algerian fighter Djamila Bouhired were also supported by the Indonesian Women's Congress. International Women's Day 1958 was widely celebrated with other organisations and personalities outside the Indonesian Women's Congress. The same was true of the endorsement of the declaration of President Sukarno. In the fight against foreign intervention, Gerwani co-operates in a large mass movement which includes several groups of differing political views and religions. On the question of co-operation with the Army, Gerwani has its representative on the National Front for the Liberation of West Irian and in the Women's Auxiliary forces of co-operation. The principle of co-operation with broad circles of the people in the fight for national freedom is urgently necessary for achieving firm national unity.

In following our aims in our own country, we always maintain our links with and learn from the experiences of women's movements in other countries. We receive women's publications from several countries and there is much material in them which we can use to improve our organisational work. In particular we adapt our work to the directives and the policy of the W.I.D.F. This growing international solidarity has a great influence in the fight against colonialism and for national independence. That is why we would like to appeal to women throughout the world to fight for the strengthening of unity and against any suppression.