Hartini

Siti Suhartini (20 September 1924 – 12 March 2002), better known as Hartini and also as Hartini Sukarno, was the fourth wife of President Sukarno of Indonesia. Born to a forestry worker in Ponorogo, Hartini was married in her youth to a man named Suwondo, with whom she had five children. She met Sukarno in 1952, and after exchanging a series of pseudonymous love letters and receiving the blessings of his wife Fatmawati, the two were married on 7 July 1954. Their union faced outrage, including protests from pro-monogamy women's organizations and the mass media. Hartini was required to live at the Presidential Palace in Bogor rather than the main palace in Jakarta and was not recognized as first lady. In the late 1950s, Hartini began to assume more of the responsibilities expected of a first lady, though without the title, travelling abroad as a representative, attending events, and delivering speeches. She also gained a reputation as a woman with influence on Sukarno, with whom she remained even as he continued to take other wives and conduct affairs. After the fall of Sukarno and transition to the New Order under President Suharto, Hartini was condemned for her leftist politics. She remained with Sukarno until his death in 1970, the only one of his wives not to leave him. In her widowhood, Hartini focused on providing for her children, selling several of Sukarno's gifts to supplement her income.