. ▁Most ▁women ' s ▁leaders ▁opposed ▁seg reg ated ▁elect or ates ▁and ▁demanded ▁adult ▁franch ise . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 ▁the ▁Congress ▁promised ▁universal ▁adult ▁franch ise ▁when ▁it ▁came ▁to ▁power . ▁It ▁en act ed ▁equal ▁voting ▁rights ▁for ▁both ▁men ▁and ▁women ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 . ▁ ▁Indones ia ▁Indones ia ▁granted ▁women ▁voting ▁rights ▁for ▁municipal ▁coun c ils ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 . ▁Only ▁men ▁who ▁could ▁read ▁and ▁write ▁could ▁vote , ▁which ▁ex cluded ▁many ▁non - Europe an ▁males . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁liter acy ▁rate ▁for ▁males ▁was ▁ 1 1 % ▁and ▁for ▁females ▁ 2 %. ▁The ▁main ▁group ▁that ▁pressed ▁for ▁women ' s ▁suff rage ▁in ▁Indones ia ▁was ▁the ▁Dutch ▁Vere ening ing ▁voor ▁V r ouw enk ies recht ▁( V V V - W omen ' s ▁Su ff rage ▁Association ), ▁founded ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 . ▁V V V ▁tried ▁to ▁attract ▁Indones ian ▁members , ▁but ▁had ▁very ▁limited ▁success ▁because ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁organization ▁had ▁little ▁skill ▁in ▁rel ating ▁to ▁even ▁the ▁educated ▁class ▁of ▁Indones ians . ▁When ▁they ▁eventually ▁did ▁connect ▁somewhat ▁with ▁women , ▁they ▁failed ▁to ▁sympath ize ▁with ▁them ▁and ▁ended ▁up ▁al ien ating ▁many ▁well - ed uc ated ▁Indones ians . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁the ▁first ▁national ▁representative ▁body , ▁the ▁Volks ra