Antoinette Waroh

Antoinette Waroh was a prominent Indonesian politician and educator who became the only female parliament member in the Provisional Representative Body of East Indonesia. She was born on 25 November 1901 in Airmadidi, Minahasa, in the Dutch East Indies. She graduated from the Teacher's School in Ambon and worked as a teacher in various schools in Minahasa, Manado, Makassar, and Blitar. She also served as the vice principal and the headmaster of some schools. She was passionate about improving the quality of education and the status of women in Indonesia. She was involved in several women's organizations, such as the Indonesian Women's Congress, the Indonesian Women's Union, and the Indonesian Women's Movement. She advocated for women's suffrage, equal rights, and social welfare. She was also a member of the National People's Party, a nationalist political party that supported the independence of Indonesia from the Dutch colonial rule. In 1947, she was elected as a member of the Provisional Representative Body of East Indonesia from the National Fraction, making her the first and only female member of the representative body. She was also a member of the People's Representative Council of the United States of Indonesia and the Provisional People's Representative Council of the Republic of Indonesia. She was known for her outspokenness and criticism of the government's policies and performance. She was also a supporter of the integration of East Indonesia into the Republic of Indonesia. She retired from politics in 1956 and returned to her hometown of Airmadidi. She continued to be active in social and religious activities until her death on 9 March 1991. She was honored as a national hero of Indonesia in 2003.