MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, JAKARTA – President of ‘Aisyiyah Salmah Orbayinah mentioned that women’s movement is indivisible from the first Indonesian Women’s Congress in Yogyakarta, in 1928.
Salmah highlighted the speeches of Munjiyah and Hayinah, two prominent ‘Aisyiyah figures who participated in the congress. Munjiyah, in particular, emphasized the equal rights of men and women in Islam.
“Munjiyah stated that both Muslim women and men have the right to progress and perfection, each within their respective roles and limits,” said Salmah in the workshop on ‘Reflecting on Women’s Movement towards a Just Indonesia’ on Friday November 22.
One of the key outcomes of the congress was the establishment of the Perikatan Perkoempoelan Perempoean Indonesia (PPPI, or Organization of Indonesian Women’s Associations), which later became the Indonesian Women’s Congress (Kowani).
‘Aisyiyah was a founding member of PPPI. The congress also resulted in the decision to start a women’s magazine, a task entrusted to PPPI.
“Alhamdulillah, the mandates of the first women’s congress have been consistently implemented by ‘Aisyiyah since its founding in 1917. We have established thousands of institutions, such as TK Aba (‘Aisyiyah kindergartens), universities, hospitals, orphanages, and cooperatives, and published Suara ‘Aisyiyah magazine since 1928,” said Salmah.
