Mother's Day Plays Special Role In Indonesia History

JAKARTA, Dec 23 (Antara) - Observed on December 22 every year, Mother's Day in Indonesia plays a special role in the country's history, culture, and society. Mother's Day in Indonesia is not just for mothers but also for all women. No wonder, Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Yohana Yembise underlined how the commemoration of Mother's Day in Indonesia is different from how it is observed in other countries around the world. According to her, Mother's Day is commemorated every year in remembrance and appreciation of the struggle of Indonesian women to win independence from the hands of colonialism. Yohana reiterated that Mother's Day in Indonesia is linked to the determination, future goals and the spirit of unity of the women to achieve independence and ensure an Indonesia which is safe, calm, peaceful, just and prosperous. Mother's Day in Indonesia also marks the very long struggle of women in achieving equality with men as potential resources in determining the success of development. "The momentum of Mother's Day is also used for reflection and contemplation about efforts made to advance the women's movement in all areas of development," the minister noted. In the meantime, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) remarked that he included a lot of women in his cabinet, because according to him, women are observant and careful in studying problems. The president observed that unlike men, women are time-tested and never complained, and therefore, he included a lot of women in his cabinet. The Mother's Day, being observed for 88 years, has led to many successes for women and men in facing global multi-dimensional challenges, especially when it comes to struggle for gender equality in Indonesia. The involvement of women to achieve independence was proven through the first Women's Congress on December 22, 1928 in the city of Yogyakarta that focused on the improvement of women's rights in marriage and education. The first Women Congress in 1928 was attended by representatives of thirty feminist organizations at the time. In appreciation of this historic movement, Mother's Day is commemorated every December 22 as the National Day. The Mother's Day commemoration in 2016 is themed, "Equality of Women and Men to Make Indonesia Free of Violence Against Women and Children, Human Trafficking and Economic Access Inequalities Against Women." The theme is in tune with the current situation in the country, and is aligned with the direction of development to achieve women's empowerment and child protection, and to realize Nawacita as a national agenda target. Mother's Day this year is expected to encourage all stakeholders to pay attention to, and recognize the importance of women in various development sectors. Indonesian Mother's Day was originally intended to celebrate the spirit of Indonesian women. During the New Order (the regime of President Suharto), the holiday was used by the government to issue propaganda to convince Indonesian women that they should stay at home and remain docile. Currently, Mother's Day focuses on expressing love and gratitude to mothers. On this day, Indonesian mothers are traditionally presented with gifts. Mother's Day is not the only holiday dedicated to Indonesian women. On April 21, Indonesians celebrate Kartini Day in memory of Raden Ajeng Kartini, one of the first Indonesian feminists and women rights activists. Mother's Day is celebrated in almost every country in the world, but its date varies from country to country. For example, Indonesian Mother's Day is celebrated on December 22. It was established by President Sukarno in 1953. Originally, this day was aimed to celebrate the spirit of Indonesian women and improve the condition of the nation. But it is now celebrated for expressing love and gratitude to mothers apart from the traditional belief. In Indonesia, Hari Ibu or Mother's Day is all about one thing - freedom and democracy of women. It emphasizes giving power to women who can help build a stronger society in the future. On this day, it is a customary practice to send gifts, flowers, and greeting cards to mothers and women. Moreover, many people hold surprise parties and competitions, like cooking competition and Kebaya wearing competition, to celebrate womanhood. Some people allow mothers to have a day off from the hectic domestic responsibilities. However, many seminars and meetings are also organized on this day. No matter how much we thank our mothers every day for their unconditional love and care, but this particular day is purely dedicated to make them feel special and valued. Origin of Mother's Day goes back to the era of ancient Greek and Romans, but the roots of Mother's Day history can also be traced in United Kingdom where a Mothering Sunday was celebrated much before the festival saw the light of the day in the United States. However, the celebration of the festival as it is seen today is a recent phenomenon and not even a hundred years old. Thanks to the hard work of the pioneering women of their times, Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis, that the day came into existence. Today, millions of people across the globe take the day as an opportunity to honor their mothers, thank them for their efforts in giving them life, raising them and being their constant support and well wishers.