Members of Indonesia’s diaspora commemorated this year’s Kartini Day in Taipei with dance performances and a fashion show displaying the country’s rich heritage while honoring the legacy of women’s rights.
The event, which took place on April 20, 2025 at the Puppetry Art Center of Taipei (PACT) was hosted in partnership with The Indonesian Diaspora Network in Taiwan (IDN Taiwan).
Kartini Day is observed on April 21 each year to commemorate the birth of Raden Ajeng Kartini, a national hero in Indonesia renowned for her pioneering efforts in girls’ education and women’s empowerment during the Dutch colonial period.
At this year’s event, the PACT Director, Tsai Yi-wei noted that this was the fifth consecutive year that the center has teamed up with IDN Taiwan to host a Kartini Day event.
According to him, the collaboration began when his predecessor invited IDN Taiwan to jointly host a Kartini Day event to showcase some of the Indonesian puppets in its collection.
The event has since became a fixture at the center because it felt at home with the center’s vibes given its emphasis on children.
On her part, Deputy President of IDN Global, Dewi said that many children in Indonesia dress up in traditional costumes for the holiday, and she “wanted Indonesian children in Taiwan to have the same experience.”
Indonesia’s Deputy Representative to Taiwan Zulmartinof, said the spirit of Kartini Day was aligned with the obligations of the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office to Taipei (IETO) to “empower” and “protect” Indonesians living and working in Taiwan.
The IETO hoped that people and authorities of Taiwan will treat migrant Indonesian women with dignity, including paying them “proper wages” and ensuring they get maternity leave if they become pregnant, Zulmartinof said.
Source: Focus Taiwan