Dewi Sartika

Dewi Sartika (4 December 1884 – 11 September 1947) was a campaigner for and pioneer of education for women in Indonesia. She founded the first school for women in the Dutch East Indies. She was honoured as a National Hero of Indonesia in 1966.

Dewi Sartika
Born	(1884-12-04)4 December 1884 Cicalengka, Dutch East Indies
Died	11 September 1947(1947-09-11) (aged 62) Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia
Known for	Education for women
Awards	National Heroes of Indonesia

Biography

Dewi Sartika was born to Sundanese noble parents, R. Rangga Somanegara and R. A. Rajapermas in Cicalengka, on 4 December 1884.[1][2] As a child, after school she often pretended to be a teacher while playing with her friends.[1][3] After her father died, she lived with her uncle. She received an education in Sundanese culture while under his care, while her knowledge of Western culture was passed on to her from the wife of a resident assistant.[4] In 1899, she moved to Bandung.[3]

On 16 January 1904, she founded a school named Sakola Istri at Bandung Regency's Pendopo which later was relocated to Jalan Ciguriang and the school name changed to Sekolah Kaoetamaan Isteri (Wife Eminency School) in 1910.[5][6] In 1912, there were nine Sekolah Kaoetamaan Isteri in cities or regencies in West Java (half of the cities and regencies), and in 1920 all of cities and regencies had one school.[4] In September 1929, this school changed its name to Sekolah Raden Dewi.[4]

She died on 11 September 1947 at Cineam, Tasikmalaya while she was evacuating from Bandung due to independence war.[4][7]

Legacy

Her name Dewi Sartika is known as the street that was the place of her school.[1] She was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau at the 35th anniversary of Sekolah Kaoetamaan Isteri as a tribute to her service in education.[4][7] On 1 December 1966, she received Heroine of the National Movement title.[6][7]

Personal life

In 1906, she married Raden Kanduruhan Agah Soeriawinata, a teacher at Sekolah Karang Pamulang.[4]

References

1. Aning S. 2005, p. 65
2. Agustina 2009, p. 41
3. Sudarmanto 2007, p. 154
4. Agustina 2009, p. 42
5. Aning S. 2005, pp. 65–66
6. "Dewi Pendidikan dari Cicalengka". tokohindonesia.com. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
7. Aning S. 2005, p. 66

Bibliography

• Agustina, Fenita (2009). 100 Great Women: Suara Perempuan yang Menginspirasi Dunia [100 Great Women: Women's Voices that Inspired the World] (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Jogja Bangkit Publisher. ISBN 978-602-8620-28-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Aning S., Floriberta (2005). 100 Tokoh yang Mengubah Indonesia: Biografi Singkat Seratus Tokoh Paling Berpengaruh dalam Sejarah Indonesia di Abad 20 [100 People Who Changed Indonesia: Brief Biographies of 100 Most Influential People in Indonesia History in the 20th Century] (in Indonesian). Yogyakarta: Narasi. ISBN 978-979-756-475-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Sudarmanto, J.B. (2007). Jejak-Jejak Pahlawan: Perekat Kesatuan Bangsa Indonesia (in Indonesian). Jakarta: Grasindo. ISBN 978-979-759-716-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)