MS. Soewarni Pringgodigdo, Chairwoman of Istri Sedar, hadn’t yet finished her speech when the sound of a rooster’s crowing was heard coming from the mouths of several men in a corner of the congress hall. “Cock-a-doodle-doo… cock-a-doodle-doo…” they said, mocking Soewarni. She immediately flew into a rage and announced her withdrawal from the women’s congress.
The incident at the Second Indonesian Women’s Congress in Batavia, July 20–24, 1935, began with Ratna Sari, a representative of Permi (the Indonesian Muslim Association) from West Sumatra, who had previously delivered a speech on the status of women under Islamic marriage law. Maria Ullfah, later Minister of Social Affairs of Indonesia, considered the content of Ratna’s speech too orthodox. “(The speech) caused a stir, because Ratna Sari accepted and defended polygamy,” said Maria Ullfah in her lecture at the Kebangkitan Nasional Building in Jakarta on February 28, 1981.
Soewarni, who was given the opportunity to respond, immediately expressed her disagreement. “I don’t accept that!” said Soewarni. “Men are just like roosters. All they do is go around collecting women!” Soewarni added. That remark was immediately met with the sound of a rooster crowing and snickering laughter from the male attendees. The congress was on the verge of breaking up. The participants split into two large, opposing groups.
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