First Indonesian Women's Congress of 1928

Every year on 22 December, Indonesia celebrates Women's Day. The date marks the recognised beginning of the organised women's movement by commemorating the start of the first Indonesian women's congress in 1928, leading to the first federation of women's organisations. Although this fact is quite well-known in Indonesia, the details of what happened at the congress are not, because the record of the congress has been lost to view. This book restores to light the contemporary account of the congress as reported in the women's federation publication of 1929. The original version of the report, included here, is worth studying for what it reveals of the discourse of the time, as young women spoke publicly in the new national language, Bahasa Indonesia, an unfamiliar exercise for most of them. The report also shows the ideals of national unity and progress for women that inspired the congress participants, and the ideas that divided them, especially those relating to Islam and marriage laws. Reading these speeches gives lively insights into the minds of young women at the start of the women's movement and highlights the concerns that have continued to motivate women's organisations in Indonesia. Susan Blackburn has translated the congress report into English and prefaced it with an introduction that sets the background to the congress and analyses its proceedings.