http://www.thejakartapost.com/detaileditorial.asp?fileid=20051222.E02&irec=1
A tribute to women and mothers everywhere
Marianne Katoppo, Jakarta
It's December again. Today is the 78th anniversary of the first Indonesian
Women's Congress in Yogyakarta. For some curious reason, it is now commemorated
as Women's Day, to the great joy of the manufacturers of cosmetics, soap,
perfume, detergents, and all those other items that mothers live for. And to
the sorrow of feminists and those persons concerned about the correct
interpretation of history.
The Women's Congress came less than two months after the famous Youth Congress,
which was the keystone of Indonesian nationalism. As you may recall, on Oct.
28, 1928, these youths vowed to "have one motherland, one nation, one
language."
Aha! The alert reader will comment: Why motherland? Because, in the original
text it says as tumpah darah, literally meaning a land where blood was spilled.
Meaning: the mother's blood, in the process of giving birth. With all due
respect, it is definitely not the blood of the soldiers or heroes slain in the
many wars waged on this soil -- as some of the more militaristic among us like
to think.
Another expression for "native country" (country of birth) is tanah air, "land
where the water was spilled." What water? The amniotic fluid, of course. Not
rivers, lakes, nor oceans. Just the water that precedes the baby's birth.
So in the Indonesian language we are really talking about motherland, aren't
we? It is easy to get carried away now and gush that in the Indonesian culture,
women or mothers are highly regarded. Witness the fact that the word perempuan
literally means "the sovereign, the exalted, the wise."
Empu was a title given to monarchs, ministers and masters. Empu Sindok is one
of the first kings recorded in Javanese history. Empu Mada, or Gajah Mada, was
the prime minister of Majapahit Kingdom in Java several centuries ago. Empu
Gandring was the smithy who forged the infamous kris for Ken Arok, and cursed
it when Ken Arok killed him with it.
Empu Tantular wrote the classic Sutasoma, from which we have derived the
immortal phrase "Bhinneka tunggal ika, tan hana darma mangrua," ("Diverse, but
one; God is not divided"). The first half has become the Indonesian national
slogan. Unfortunately, people have been led to think that the diversity refers
to ethnic groups and cultures, whereas it is clearly a call for religious
harmony and tolerance, for the next line says, "There is no Buddha, no Shiva;
though bearing different names, God is one."
We know all about religious harmony and tolerance in Indonesia. As Christmas
approaches, it is such a relief to know that security is being heightened at
churches. The police are deploying thousands of personnel to ensure that
Christians can carol in peace. Of course there still are some craven enough to
forego the traditional midnight service for fear of bombs. Especially
expatriates, who claim they have been warned by their embassies to stay away.
To return to the subject of women or mothers. Although language-wise the female
of the species may have an exalted position, in real life we have a very
different picture. The Women's Congress of 1928 was fighting for or against
some things which are unresolved to this day. Against: Trafficking in women and
children, child marriages, domestic violence. For: Better health, especially
the reproductive sector; access to education, equal employment.
Trafficking in women is worse than ever, now. Last year, Manado had the highest
rate.
And do you know what the maternal mortality rate is in Indonesia today? I
stopped checking a few years ago. It was too upsetting to find out that it is
still incredibly high: about 700 times that of Norway, and only slightly less
than Nepal. There is no money to provide better prenatal care, better health
centers, better nutrition, and so on. Better meaning "affordable" or "free".
However, there is plenty of money to raise the salaries and expenses of the
CEOs and their vicepersons, to raise the salaries of the illustrious members of
parliament who are well-known for their somnolence in sessions, and to
underwrite the "See the Pyramids" fancy of some "studious" MPs. The latter said
that they were invited by the Egyptian legislature, but our zealous TV
journalists reported that the visit to the Egyptian confreres took just over an
hour.
Besides, there was only one Egyptian MP present to receive them, and he was
busy answering the phone for about 15 minutes. He also presented them with a
book about the Egyptian Parliament, which in my opinion should make the
Guinness Book of Records, since it cost the Indonesian taxpayers Rp 750 million
(US$ 75,000).
As for education, same as above. Schools keep collapsing, and if that is not
bad enough, tuition and other sundry expenses usually drive parents and even
children to despair. Some have even taken their own lives.
Let us bear in mind that the women who convened in Yogyakarta 78 years ago were
very privileged. Many of them had a college education -- at a time when, for
example, in Germany less than 2 percent of the women had that privilege. They
were certainly not scrambling for political positions, nor were they fighting
for their own interests. Perhaps one could say that they were "living for the
sisterhood" -- i.e. empowering the weaker ones, making room for the
unprivileged, defending the rights of all.
In Greek, the word for power is exousia, which may be translated as "outside
one's being." True power is to be able to stand outside one's own being,
empathize with the condition of others -- and then do something about it.
Remember that Mahatma Gandhi chose to go through life half naked to remind the
world of the millions of Indians who lived in abject poverty. It isn't as if he
couldn't afford a proper suit.
Why is it that we seem to have lost track of such models of leadership, of
power? Why do people strive for high positions to inflate their egos and their
bank accounts?
Nearly 1000 years ago, there was a Javanese princess whose name is not recorded
and is only known to us as Dharmaprasada Uttunggadewi, a title bestowed upon
her by her father, King Erlangga. She was his eldest child, therefore he wanted
her to succeed him. From an early age he trained her to be a ruler. She was
Mahamatri i Hino (second only to the King) for a while and even signed several
prasasti (monuments) with him.
But she begged him to release her, to let her follow her heart's desire, which
was to become a hermit. She retired to the cave of Selomangleng at Kediri in
Eastern Java where she meditated for many years until her death, and became
known as Dewi Kilisuci.
Feminists and other gender-concerned persons, take note of that young princess
of 1000 years ago! Not many of us may be inclined to follow her option for the
eternal since we are quite comfortable in the temporal. But let us honor her,
and the women of 1928 by striving to make this world a better place. Let us ask
ourselves how we can best celebrate Women's Day and continue the agenda of
1928.
If it must be called Mother's Day, then let this day be a tribute to all women
who are mothers because they are givers of life, whether through physical
childbirth or through spiritual ideals.
The writer is a women's rights activist.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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