Vice Rector III of UNISA Yogyakarta: Women Must Dare to Take Roles and Think Critically Similar to Kartini

In commemoration of Kartini Day on April 21, 2025, Vice Rector III of Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (UNISA) Yogyakarta, Prof. Dr. Mufdlilah, S.SiT., M.Sc., gave a message to UNISA students, especially women, to reflect back the fighting spirit of RA Kartini. This can be realized by thinking freely, speaking up and taking a role.

“Today, Kartini gives us hope that we will always be involved in the process of education, entrepreneurship, policy-making, and even in educating children, so that women have access to develop and advance,” said Mufdlilah, at UNISA Yogyakarta, Monday (21/4/2025).

Mufdlilah also hopes that UNISA Yogyakarta students, especially women, can play a role and become a driving force in society, by honing themselves to become a leader with courage and positive character.

“This is not easy, there are so many challenges. But this can be realized if we women are willing to join hands and strengthen solidarity between women. So that the women at UNISA dare to make decisions, dare to act and dare to speak out like RA. Kartini,” she added.

Mufdlilah also highlighted cases of gender inequality that occur against women. Sometimes it is caused by women themselves. Where they still think men are more dominant and have more authority than women, so that women’s roles in the public sector are limited.

“I think there are still things, where women are not brave enough to be at the forefront. There are women who say ‘Yes sir, yes you are a man’, in these forums, sometimes the leadership has not dared to take its position,” she said.

According to Mufdlilah, women who are afraid to take a role, afraid to speak out, afraid to fight back, make them easy prey for perpetrators of sexual harassment. This trait makes women seen as weak creatures who cannot defend themselves. She also invited all women at UNISA Yogyakarta to raise their value, dare to fight and dare to speak out so as not to be humiliated and harassed.

“I think it is time for women to have the courage to think critically, to think independently, to have an independent opinion, because in the model of sexual harassment, if you are silent, it has been embedded, the weakness of women is like shame, lack of courage, fear, worry. Well, that must be eliminated as an emancipation value from Mrs. Kartini,” she concluded.