RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia is using the legacy of national hero R.A. Kartini not only as a source of national pride but also as a foundation for advancing women’s empowerment on the global stage.

Speaking at the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, on Thursday, April 23, 2026, 2026, Ambassador Muhsin Syihab emphasized that Kartini’s vision continues to shape Indonesia’s identity and diplomacy.

“Today Indonesia stands as living proof of Kartini’s vision. A woman has led this nation as President. Indonesian women have also held strategic roles as Speaker of Parliament, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Maritime Affairs, Health, and Environment, managing some of the most defining global challenges of our era,” he said, as quoted by Antara.

The event, titled Indonesia’s Legacy of Women Empowerment: Celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Inscription of Kartini’s Letters in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register through Culture, marked one year since Kartini’s letters were recognized by UNESCO.

Ambassador Muhsin noted that Indonesia’s diplomatic corps is increasingly female-led, with recruitment in the past two decades dominated by women. He predicted the world will see more Indonesian women serving as heads of mission in the years ahead.

Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Lena Metlege Diab, who attended the celebration, expressed admiration after watching a short film on Kartini.

“Kartini’s letters are not just historical documents, but a window into the mind of a young woman who dared to reject the limits of her time. Through ideas of education, equality, and the power of knowledge, Kartini showed that progress comes when we challenge convention and open opportunities,” she said.

Minister Diab added that Kartini’s legacy continues to inspire women globally, reminding societies that empowering women drives collective advancement.

The film screened at the event highlighted Kartini’s struggle for emancipation and the role of women in Indonesia’s nation-building, including Maria Ulfa Santoso, who became Social Affairs Minister in 1946.

Today, Indonesia boasts numerous influential female figures such as Sri Mulyani, the country’s first female Finance Minister; Retno Marsudi, the first female Foreign Minister; and Armida Alisjahbana, who has served since 2018 as UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP.

Ambassador Muhsin stressed that Kartini’s letters, now part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, should be celebrated across Indonesian missions worldwide. He described Kartini as a timeless symbol of Indonesia’s soft power, representing progress, equality, and civilization on the global stage. ***