April 21st, also commemorated as Kartini’s Day, has a deep meaning for women in Indonesia. The birthday of Raden Ajeng Kartini, an Indonesian national heroine, always becomes the moment for most of them to remember that their independence and rights are important. More than one hundred years ago, Kartini began this movement by striving for women’s rights to get an access to education. Nowadays, we can see that women in Indonesia can go to school. However, this achievement shouldn’t be the end of the women’s journey to struggle on it. But, it should be a stepping stone to solve other problems, such as inequality towards women’s chances to work. However, a great challenge which always haunts the women who are also mothers is that they have to choose between working in the office or staying at home to take care of their children. This polemic encourages I Want to Smell the Perfume (IWTSTP) to create a community which can make women work from home.

Ibu Say Alfina (the second from the right) and the other members of MOC Ciasin are attending a training to create knitted bags.

Say Alfina, a member of MOC Ciasin in Bogor who dedicates her time to fully take care her children, shared her story to IWTSTP, “As a housewife who only stays at home, besides I am able to earn money for buying foods for my family, I could learn directly how to make a knitted bag. I’m happy to get new knowledge, and then I have a lot of new friends through this community.”

On this occasion, she has a message for all women, “We, as a woman, we have to be independent as women are able to work the same as men. Although we choose to take care of children by staying at home, we could still have an income through our hobbies or talents, for example tailoring, knitting, or maybe giving a private course on certain subjects. Whatever it is, as long as it is positive, we should do it.”

Written by Ratnasari N.