Born in Hulu Langat, Selangor, in 1923, Aishah Ghani’s life was shaped by a strong commitment to education and activism. She first attended school at the Sekolah Melayu Bukit Raya. At the age of 11, upon finishing her primary schooling, her family made preparation to arrange for her marriage. Aishah vehemently protested even going on hunger strike for a several days. Her parents finally relented and sent her to further her education at Diniyah Puteri and later at Maktab Perguruan Tinggi Islam in Padang, Sumatera.
Aishah’s career began in journalism as a writer for Pelita Malaya, the newspaper of Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM). She quickly rose to prominence as a leader of Angkatan Wanita Sedar (AWAS), although her tenure lasted less than a year due to her disagreement with KMM’s strategies. She used her marriage as an excuse to step back from the organisation, not before recruiting Shamsiah Fakeh to take over her position.
Aishah then took a significant step by going to London to study journalism from 1955 to 1958. Tunku Abdul Rahman invited Aishah to return to Malaya in preparation for Malaya’s independence which meant cutting short her studies. Aishah declined and decided to stay in London to finish her education, knowing that there would still be much for her to contribute to the nation once she has completed her higher education. Upon her return, she worked with Berita Harian and later became an editor for The Straits Times. She quit journalism to focus on her political career becoming a member of the UMNO Supreme Council and vice-chairperson of Woman UMNO in 1963.
In 1962, Aishah was appointed as the first female senator in Malaysia. She also became the first woman representative to the United Nations. From 1972 to 1984, Aishah served as the Ketua Pergerakan Wanita UMNO and from 1973 to 1984, she was the Minister of Welfare. During her tenure, she played a crucial role in the reform of Syariah law, advocating for women’s rights within the legal framework. She passed away in 2013 at the age of 90.
Read more here: Aishah Ghani: Memoir Seorang Pejuang. 1992. Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.