Ramadhani Muhammad Altiasa

XI IPA 2

Raden Adjeng Kartini

Raden Adjeng Kartini was born in Jepara on April 21,
1879. She comes from a noble family. Her father, Raden Mas
Adipati Ario Sosroningrat is a regent who governed Jepara at that
time. While her mother, MA Ngasirah descended from the
common people. Like the other children from noble descent in
general, she lived in prosperity and strict Javanese rules. She is
the 5th child of 11 brothers and sisters coming from her
biological and stepmother. Among her siblings from her
biological mother, she is the eldest daughter.
R.A Kartini studied in the ELS School (Europese Lagere
School). She studied Dutch language there, so that she could
speak Dutch language very well.
When she was 12 years old, she had to quit studying
because she had to do pingit at that time, a rule of Javanese
custom that forbid woman to go outside before marriage. Finally, on 12th November 1983 she
was married to Raden Adipati Joyodiningrat.
After getting married, R.A 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 great difference between European womens life with Indonesian women. European
women live in freedom and they have the same equivalent position with men. While, Indonesia
women lived under mans power.
Based on that fact, she had an idea to change Indonesian womens 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.
In addition to teaching, she also wrote letters to her friends in the Netherlands. One of
them is Rosa Abendanon which strongly supported Kartinis idea. She also often wrote to the
Dutch womens magazine De Hollandsche Lelie several times.
Thanks to her efforts, many women schools were built in other areas such as in Surabaya,
Yogyakarta, Malang, Madiun, and Cirebon. Moreover, there was also Kartini Foundation,
founded by Van Deventers family who is a political figures, opened Kartinis School.
On 17th September 1904, RA Kartini died after giving birth to her son named RM
Soesalit. She was 25 years old at that time. Although she had passed away, her spirit and brilliant

ideas remain alive and inspire Indonesian women to continue the struggle to make her dream
comes true.
Even her spirit made a Dutch figure, Mr.JH Abendanon, compiled and published her
letters sent to her friends in Europe entitle Duisternis DOOR TOT Licht, which means
Through Darkness to Light. For her contribution, she was awarded as Indonesian national hero
because of her ideas which improve Indonesian women level, on May 2, 1964.

Profile
Name: Raden Ajeng Kartini
Place and date of birth: Jepara, Central Java, 21 April 1879
Place and date of death: Rembang, Central Java, 17 September 1904
Age: 25 years
Parents name
Father: Raden Mas Adipati Ario Sosroningrat
Mother: M.A Ngasirah
Familys name
Husband: K.R.M. Adipati Ario Singgih Djojo Adhiningrat
Child: Raden Mas Soesalit