2. Kartini was born on April 21, 1879 in Jepara City,
Central Java. Kartini's full name is Raden Ajeng Kartini
Djojo Adhiningrat. She was the fifth child of eleven
siblings.
Her father named Raden Mas Adipati Ario
Sosroningrat, the son of Prince Ario Tjondronegoro IV,
a nobleman who served as Regent of Jepara. He is a
descendant of the Majapahit Kingdom.
Her mother named M.A. Ngasirah, not from
aristocratic descent but just an ordinary citizen, the
son of a kiai or religious teacher in Telukawur, Jepara.
3. Kartini received her education because she
inherited royal blood from her father. He
studied at ELS (Europese Lagere School)
until she was 12 years old. She studied
Dutch language there, so that she could
speak Dutch language very well.
however at that time, there were customs
passed down from generation to
generation. Girls who are 12 years old
must stay at home to be “pingit”. A rule of
Javanese custom that forbid woman
to go outside before marriage.
Even though she was “pingit", Kartini's
desire to learn did not disappear. Her
Dutch language ability is used to read
books and even write letters to
correspondence friends from the
Netherlands, one of whom she often
uses as a storyteller is Rosa
Abendanon. From her communication
with Abendanon, an interest arose to
think forward like European women.
She wanted to promote indigenous
women who at that time were limited
by ancient customs.
4. After married, Kartini never stopped learning. She
continued to study in her own house by reading a lot
of European books and magazines. When she was
reading them, she found a difference between
European women’s with Indonesian women’s.
European women live in freedom and they have the
same equivalent position with men. While, Indonesia
women lived under man’s power.
Based on that fact, she had an idea to change
Indonesian women’s life. She along with her friends
opened the first school for women in Indonesia in
1912 in Semarang. They taught Indonesian women
how to read and write, so that they could come out
of ignorance.
On November 12, 1903, Kartini was married
to the Rembang Regent named Adipati Ario
Singgih Djojo Adhiningrat.
5. because of she, many women's schools were established in
other areas such as in Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Malang, Madiun,
Cirebon. Apart from that, the Kartini Foundation was also
founded, which was founded by the Van Deventer family of
Ethical political figures. The foundation opened a Kartini School.
6. On September 13, 1904, Kartini gave birth to a son
named Soesalit Djojoadhiningrat. Only four days after
giving birth, Kartini died on September 17, 1904. RA
Kartini died at the age of 25 and was buried in
Bulu Village, Bulu District, Rembang.
7. After her death, Kartini's letters were collected and
published in a book entitled 'Door Duisternis tot
Licht’ or ‘After Darkness Comes Light' by one of her
themes in the Netherlands who was then Minister
of Culture, Religion and Crafts of the Dutch East
Indies. This book was published in 1911 in Dutch.
Then in 1922, Balai Pustaka published a translated
version of the book After Dark Rises Light in Malay.
Because of Kartini's idea to advance the degree of women, In the
Decree of the President of the Republic of Indonesia No. 108 of 1964,
on May 2, 1964, President Sukarno designated Kartini as a Hero of
National Independence. Sukarno also set Kartini's birthday, April 21,
to be commemorated as Kartini's Day until now.
