Hajjah Rangkayo Rasuna Said (English: Hajjah Rangkayo Rasuna Said, born – 14 September 1910; died – 2 November 1965) was one of the active female warriors during the Second World War. Rasuna Said is an exception in the list of women who fought in the Second World War, because during the war she was at least mildly involved with enemy countries. She was a major figure in Indonesia’s struggle for independence. Her enemies were not the Japanese, but the Dutch colonists of Indonesia.
Rasuna Said became politically active at a very young age. She formed a political party called the Indonesian Muslim Association. She formed this party called Permi in her early twenties. This organization was based on her religion and nationalism. Rasuna Said gave powerful speeches. One of her biographies says that when she spoke, it was like lightning in the daytime. Rasuna Said’s courage to criticize the Dutch colonial authorities was the reason why she was called a lioness. Dutch officers often interrupted Rasuna Said’s speeches and once she was arrested and imprisoned for 14 months. When the Japanese attacked the archipelago in 1942, Rasuna Said joined a pro-Japanese organization, but she used it to carry out her independence activities. In the case of Indonesia, the war did not stop even after the defeat of the Japanese. The Dutch authorities tried to strengthen their rule again. First they took British help for this and this started a four-year long bloody conflict. This war ended only when the Dutch people recognized Indonesia’s independence in 1949. Rasuna Said’s role in this war is well remembered. A main street in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta is named after her. Rasuna Said was a big supporter of gender equality and women’s education. Rasuna Said is among the few women in Indonesia who have received the status of National Hero.[1]
