Raden Ayu Lasminingrat: Google doodle celebrates 169th birthday of the pioneer in women's education
- Country:
- Indonesia
Happy Birthday Raden Ayu Lasminingrat!
Google Doodle celebrates the 169th birthday of Raden Ayu Lasminingrat, a Sundanese author and scholar who paved the way for future generations of Indonesian women. She was born on this day in 1854 in Garut, Indonesia to Raden Ayu Ria and Raden Haji Muhamad Musa, who was a pioneer of Sundanese printed literature and a scholar.
In order to pursue her education in Sumedang, Lasminingrat had to be separated from her family and was left under the care of Levyson Norman, a friend of her father's. With his help, she became the first Indonesian woman to be fluent in reading and writing Dutch during her time, which enabled her to dream of advancing equality for all Indonesian women.
Lasminingrat used her literacy skills to adapt European fairy tales into Sundanese and under her father's guidance, she started educating Indonesian children in 1879. She read adapted books aloud and taught basic moral education and psychology, which provided schooling to native Indonesian children and exposed them to international cultures. She continued to translate books into Sundanese, including Warnasari volumes 1 and 2, which were widely celebrated throughout Indonesia.
In 1907, Lasminingrat founded the Sekolaha Keutamaan Istri, an open environment and learning area that promoted women's empowerment, reading, and writing. The school grew to 200 students and 5 classes and was recognized by the Dutch East Indies government in 1911. Over time, the school continued to expand, reaching other cities such as Wetan Garut, Cikajang, and Bayongbong.
We express gratitude to Lasminingrat for dedicating her life to empowering Indonesian women and being a pioneer in women's education.
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