On a day to honour the birth date of Raden Adjeng Kartini, an Indonesian national hero, women's rights activist Rusni Tajari said women in privileged positions can embrace her spirit to empower other women and rise above socio-economic challenges or traditions that bound them.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Rusni said there are many lessons to be learnt from Kartini, who is honoured every year today on her birth date, April 21, 1879, for her contributions to furthering women’s rights to education.

The eldest daughter of a high-ranking Javanese family, Kartini was bound by strict traditions and a patriarchal mindset that relegated...