Call me Kartini? Kartini as a Floating Signifier in Indonesian History

Every year on 21 April, Kartini's birthday, Indonesia celebrates Hari Kartini (Kartini Day). A day of civic celebration, it is marked by ceremonies, especially in schools and government institutions; and by reflections in the mass media on the state of women's social participation, challenges and achievements. This annual event has come to be focused, in often contradictory ways, on the �place of women� in modern Indonesia. Kartini's literary writings have been �mined� to give multiple and even contradictory characterizations of her voice, and hence of her historical significance.