Two Indonesian women in Jakarta and Sydney share their stories of juggling motherhood and career, and what it means to be a Kartini in today's world.
For a mother, being a Kartini in today's world also means having a career and finding balance for yourself.
Anastasia Savira is a civil servant at Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Jakarta, a field dominated by men. Determined to prove that women can compete in this space, she pursued her master's and doctoral degrees in public policy at Nagoya University in Japan. She did so, Savira said, while raising her child, who was still a toddler at that time.
When people questioned her decision, Savira noticed something. Those questions, she said, are only ever directed at women and never at men.
Even so, Savira has proven that all these roles can work together. Savira holds a full-time job, runs a business, and still manages the household and looks after her child, she said.
As a mother of a daughter, it’s important to show that women have their own choices in life, Savira said. She wants her daughter to see that this is no longer an era where women wait to be provided for, she added.
For Savira, a Kartini in today's world is a woman who dares to be herself, speaks up against injustice, and cares for those around her. More than that, Savira said, a modern-day Kartini also paves the way for other women to grow.
In Sydney, Shelly Rizky runs several businesses while raising two sons. Without extended family nearby, she keeps her life tightly structured, she said. Each day has its own business focus, and weekends belong entirely to the children, she added.
For Rizky, who runs businesses in food & beverages and online shopping, being a modern-day Kartini means knowing when to stop. No matter how busy she gets with work and the household, Rizky said, she always makes time for herself. Because in her view, everything runs well when she herself is in a good place.
Listen to SBS Indonesian's full conversation with Anastasia Savira and Shelly Rizky to find out more.
