INDONESIAN POLICE WOMEN COMMEMORATE THEIR 67 YEARS OF SERVICE

Bukittinggi is one of the big cities in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Located in Minangkabau highlands, it is about 90kms from Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra Province. Nearby, there are an inactive volcano of Mount Singgalang and the still active one, Mount Merapi. Situated 930 meters above sea level, the city has a cool climate with temperatures between 16-24 degrees Celsius and a very windy area. 

Being the heart of the Highland in Sumatra Indonesia, Bukittinggi is a two-hour-drive through beautiful countryside of the Anai valley and up to the Agam Plateau. The tourism attraction is the unique town's clock tower referred to as “Jam Gadang”. It overlooks the market square and the magnificent surroundings of the city.

Bukittinggi has also witnessed the history of the Republic of Indonesia. On September 1^st, 2015, Indonesia’s police women commemorated its 67^th anniversary centered in Bukittinggi, the city where the first police woman joined the force. The commemoration of Bukittinggi as the birthplace of police women was marked with the official inauguration of Police Women Monument which had undergone renovation. Moreover, police women proudly presented a parade as a way to express their gratitude to Bukittinggi that had written the history of police force with golden ink, as well as given the chance for police women to achieve many things since the first day inaugurated.

                                                   

The monument was renovated to promote the Minangkabau’s “Bagonjong” architecture, to show the local wisdom in design (the arches on the roof are designed to allow wind to pass through easily and avoid damage to the roof), semiotics, and social cognition. The structure of the building depicts the noble values of Indonesian National Police (INP) in general, and Indonesian police women in particular.

The picture on the monument’s wall depicts the struggle made by the pioneer police women in working hand-in-hand with their male counterparts in guarding and upholding the independence of the Republic of Indonesia and in performing the same duty as their male counterparts.

 

As a flashback, 67 years ago during the Dutch colonialization, first group of Indonesian police women was inaugurated due to their major involvement in handling many cases related to women and children. 

Six female teenagers were trained at the Police State School in Bukittinggi, of which now is used as a district police office. 

Dutch Aggression in 1948 had forced those six teenagers, who were then becoming the pioneers of police women, to take an active role in the struggle for keeping Indonesian independence, along with the male police officers.        

Police Woman Day was also commemorated in regional police offices and INP police schools.

 

Currently, despite its small percentage (3,6 %) compared to the total number of INP officers, Indonesian police women had managed to take major roles in various fields and levels of assignment, without being underestimated and disrespected by the male police officers. Bravo Indonesian Police Women! Success and give the best service to the community.

(By Tiwi Rinaldi – September 2015)