“I write coz I am angry.” (Aquarini Priyatna – a feminist writer from Indonesia)
“I write coz I have a purpose to make women realize their equal rights with men.” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman – a feminist writer from America with her most anthologized short story entitled The Yellow Wallpaper)
I write coz I want to share my anxiety to other people, the anxiety that bothers my mind to see and experience the unfair treatment women get (using my feministic perspective) in this patriarchal society. (Nana Podungge – a feminist from Indonesia)
I agree with Gilman that everybody mostly writes coz he/she has a purpose, and the purpose is very various, different from one person to another. However, I am of opinion that my idea is also general, people write to share their anxiety to other people, people write to make people listen and hear what they say.
“Why don’t you just stop shouting there and start doing something in real to make the betterment of your folks—women? Don’t just talk. ACT!”
Some people criticized me like that.
There are many people who have done that—those who join non-governmental organizations for women (and children), such as LBH APIK, LRC KJHAM (in Semarang), Koalisi Perempuan, etc, there are abundant of them in many cities. Some of them write about their experiences in journals, newspapers, also in a form of book, to “announce” the unfairness, the discrimination, etc. however, not all people are exposed to those kinds of journals and books, coz of the expensive price.
I write sometimes based on my own experience, friends’ experience, and also from other women’s experience that I read in those books/journals/tabloids/ newspapers. I expect that my writing will reach wider audience (besides, I also “preach” to my students in my workplaces), to make more people realize that patriarchal culture often oppresses women—though not all women realize that. The more people know about this, the better. Hopefully the world which is more friendly to women will be realized soon.
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