Centuries of Dutch occupation brought sad conditions, physically and mentally to the Indonesian people; poverty, acquiescence, apathy, and lack of initiative. These conditions were more obvious in women. Also, the old traditions of the aristocratic class made the Indonesian women helpless and unable to support themselves. They depended entirely on their families and husbands. Girls had to quit school at the age of 12 and stayed at home until they were forced into marriage. Polygamy was not uncommon in those days.

Raden Ajeng Kartini was born on April 21st, 1879 in the village of Mayong, Jepara, Central Java, a daughter of Bupati Sosroningrat, Head of Japara District. Although both her father and grandfather were quite modern in their views, they were still tied to the old traditions. Kartini graduated from 'Eropese Lager School', a special school for European children and children form royal families. She was a brilliant student and mastered the Dutch language very well. Her modesty and noble personality appealed to everyone, Indonesians as well as Dutch people.

After she finished her schooling she had to stay at home for 6 years, much to her disappointment and frustration. She was not allowed to continue studying at the Dutch Senior High School, and was forbidden to accept a Dutch Scholarship to study in the Netherlands. Later, she had to accept that a scholarship to study medicine in Batavia (Jakarta) was also not possible.

To keep herself busy and to realize her ideals of advancing the education of Indonesian women, she established a school for girls, helped by her sisters. She wanted the Indonesian women to be independent, employed and to be able to make decisions. She rebelled against the old traditions, which were an obstacle in her life; she hated polygamy and wanted women to have the choice to remain single if they desired.. She expressed her feelings and aspirations in letters to her friends, In Indonesia and abroad. She wrote in Dutch and her ideas were quite progressive and exceptional for the time. A Dutch official complied her letters into a book entitled 'Door Duisternis Tot Light' (From Darkness to Light).

At the age of 24, which was considered old in these times, Kartini eventually gave in to her father's wishes, and accepted his request for her to marry a 50-year-old man who already had three wives and six children. Tragically, Kartini died one year later, just four days after giving birth to her first son.

Her aspirations were fulfilled decades after her death when women were free to choose what professions they wanted to pursue: being doctors, engineers, lawyers, pilots, even soldiers. We have come a long way from Kartini's era: in 1974 a Marriage Law was passed to curb polygamy; in 1983 a Government Regulation was issued to regulate divorce for government employees.

The government declared Kartini a national heroine in 1964 and since then her birthday, 21st April, has been observed as Kartini Day. On this day, Indonesian women celebrate her life and the freedom she gave them, and also wear the traditionalkabaya (Indonesian blouse).

	...Elizabeth wore her batik for Kartini Day, along with Prima, Katherine, Sri and Gita - the wonderful women of TotalFinaElf's IT department, who have helped Alex tremendously in his three years in Balikpapan...