Women
By Sugiarti Siswadi
no longer
are we guilded posies
exquisite when yielding
enchanting when submissive.
to hell tis our duty to go
to heaven permitted to follow.
and no longer
are we blossoms cast aside
downtrodden
selling our sweat for next to nothing
workers at half the price
no security
no equality
only duty
we have cried out
from behind the walls of segregation
from the clutches of the spiteful bed
from the nightly business in the gutters
from the revenge of unwilling wedlock
"we are human beings!"
Source: Contemporary Progressive Indonesian Poetry, 1962
Poem Analysis:
Sugiarti Siswadi’s poem Women is a powerful and defiant declaration of women’s liberation from the oppressive roles historically assigned to them. The poem addresses themes of subjugation, inequality, and the fight for recognition of women's full humanity. Through vivid imagery and direct language, Siswadi challenges patriarchal norms and gives voice to the struggles and resistance of women against systemic discrimination.
Breaking Free from Traditional Gender Roles
The poem opens with a bold rejection of traditional femininity: “no longer / are we guilded posies / exquisite when yielding / enchanting when submissive.” The imagery of “guilded posies” suggests that women have historically been treated as ornamental objects, valued for their beauty and submissiveness rather than their intellect, strength, or agency. The word “guilded” implies that this beauty is artificial, a façade placed upon women by societal expectations.
By stating “no longer”, Siswadi makes it clear that women are rejecting this superficial and passive role. The association of femininity with yielding and submissiveness is cast aside, signaling a refusal to continue conforming to traditional ideals that have kept women in positions of inferiority. The poem’s opening stanza is a declaration of autonomy, rejecting the notion that women’s value lies solely in their compliance with patriarchal standards of behavior.
Rejection of Inferiority and Subservience
The line “to hell tis our duty to go / to heaven permitted to follow” reflects the oppressive religious and cultural norms that have long dictated women’s roles. Women, according to these old beliefs, were often relegated to secondary positions, expected to endure suffering and sacrifice while men took the lead, both in life and in spiritual matters. The juxtaposition of “hell” and “heaven” symbolizes the contrast between women’s burdensome duties and their restricted rewards.
Siswadi challenges this religious and cultural submission, rejecting the idea that women must passively accept their fates. The reversal implied in “to hell tis our duty to go” emphasizes that women are forced to bear disproportionate hardships, while the permission to enter “heaven” reflects the inequality of opportunity. The poem thus critiques the ways in which gendered oppression has been justified under the guise of duty and morality.
Labor and Economic Exploitation
The poem moves on to address the economic exploitation of women, particularly in labor. “No longer / are we blossoms cast aside / downtrodden / selling our sweat for next to nothing / workers at half the price.” The “blossoms cast aside” symbolizes the disregard for women’s labor and their marginalization in society. Women, like discarded flowers, have been devalued and oppressed, their contributions overlooked or diminished.
Siswadi highlights the injustice of women being “workers at half the price”, a clear reference to the gender wage gap and the undervaluing of women’s labor in both formal and informal economies. This exploitation is further emphasized by the lack of “security / no equality / only duty”, illustrating how women’s work has often been considered obligatory, rather than something deserving of fair compensation and recognition. The phrase “selling our sweat for next to nothing” encapsulates the bitter reality of women’s economic exploitation, where they are forced to work for far less than their male counterparts, often without the safety nets of job security or equal rights.
Voicing the Pain of Oppression
The poem’s most poignant moment comes with the lines, “we have cried out / from behind the walls of segregation / from the clutches of the spiteful bed / from the nightly business in the gutters / from the revenge of unwilling wedlock.” Here, Siswadi gives voice to the pain and suffering women have endured under patriarchal systems.
The “walls of segregation” symbolize the societal barriers that have kept women confined, both physically and metaphorically, in spaces where they are isolated and oppressed. The “clutches of the spiteful bed” refers to the abuse and subjugation women have experienced in domestic spaces, including marital rape, forced intimacy, and the reduction of women’s identities to that of wives or sexual objects. The phrase “nightly business in the gutters” invokes the plight of women forced into prostitution, or the broader sense of women being treated as commodities in a patriarchal world that exploits their bodies for profit.
The line “from the revenge of unwilling wedlock” brings to light the horrors of forced or arranged marriages, where women have no say in their own lives, subjected to relationships that are neither consensual nor desired. These experiences, Siswadi suggests, have long been silenced or ignored by society, but the poem declares that women have cried out against these injustices.
Assertion of Humanity
The poem’s climactic moment arrives with the exclamation: “we are human beings!” This simple yet powerful statement serves as the poem’s central message. For too long, women have been treated as less than human—objectified, exploited, and dehumanized by systems of patriarchy, capitalism, and cultural norms. By asserting their humanity, the speaker demands recognition of women’s full personhood, with all the rights and dignity that entails.
This statement is a cry for equality, justice, and respect. It speaks not only to the need for systemic change but also to the need for a shift in how women are viewed and valued in society. Siswadi’s use of this phrase as the poem’s closing line underscores its importance: women are no longer willing to be silenced or marginalized—they are human beings with their own voices, desires, and rights.
Language, Tone, and Structure
The language of Women is direct, assertive, and unapologetic. Siswadi does not use flowery or abstract language to make her point; instead, she relies on concrete, powerful imagery that vividly captures the harsh realities of women’s oppression. The tone is one of defiance and resilience, signaling that women are no longer willing to accept their subjugation in silence.
The structure of the poem mirrors the process of awakening and revolution. It begins with a rejection of old roles, moves through a critique of economic exploitation, and culminates in a bold assertion of women’s humanity. Each section builds upon the last, creating a sense of rising momentum that leads to the climactic cry for equality and recognition.
A Call for Liberation and Recognition
Sugiarti Siswadi’s Women is an impassioned plea for the liberation of women from the shackles of traditional gender roles, economic exploitation, and social marginalization. The poem emphasizes the need for equality, dignity, and recognition of women as full human beings, capable of leading their own lives and shaping their own futures.
At its core, Women is a call to action. It demands that society move beyond outdated notions of femininity and recognize the contributions, struggles, and humanity of women. Siswadi’s poem resonates as a powerful statement of feminist resistance, challenging oppressive systems and asserting the need for a more just and equitable world where women are valued for their full personhood, not just their capacity to serve or suffer.