Saur Marlina Manurung, more familiarly known as Butet Manurung, has been chosen as one of the 12 Barbie's Global Role Models from Indonesia. Butet's Barbie wears a red Indonesian Batik mixed with a fabric known as "kain Jarit".

The special edition dolls are part of the celebration of International Women's Day 2022, which is on March 8th.

Butet Manurung joins eleven other inspirational women from all over the world who have contributed greatly to their respective practices. The elected women come from various backgrounds, such as fashion designers, doctors and digital creators, to name a few.

The 12 Barbie's Role Models campaign aims to build women's confidence and strengthen women's inner potential anywhere they are. Butet Manurung then expressed gratitude on her Instagram.

"I am grateful for being chosen as one of 12 Barbie's Role Models and for being able to represent Indonesia's multiculturalism. I hope all young girls can be confident about themselves, that you can be anything you dream of, anything," wrote Butet Manurung in her Instagram post.

"Quoting Paulo Coelho, 'When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it'," added Manurung.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Saur Marlina Manurung (@butet_manurung)

In an interview, Manurung said her goal of becoming Barbie’s role model is to motivate young girls all over Indonesia to be themselves.

“To be free to choose their clothes, hairstyle, etc. The goal is to liberate though, even if the theme is to inspire young women all over the world to be themselves, and not to be afraid of the limits, to be without limit,” Manurung addressed.

Previously, it was renowned designer Anne Avantie who earned this special recognition from regional Mattel Indonesia.

Sokola Institute
Butet Manurung inspired Indonesia through her devoted service in education. Not only is she a renowned anthropologist, but she is also an activist who advocates for more inclusive policies in education, especially for marginalized people and forest dwellers. And that activism resulted in the founding of the Sokola Institute.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Sokola Institute (@sokolainstitute)

Sokola Institute is one concrete outcome of Butet Manurung's devotion and activism towards education. It is an implementation of her struggle in fighting for indigenous people's rights to education. She believes formal education is the door to improving their quality of life.

But doing all that doesn't mean that she is patronizing indigenous people. She insists that teachers in Sokola Institute should be humble and learn from the tribal people because that happened to her. She also said that she learned more from indigenous people than they did from her.

The institute has several schools. They are located within the area of Kajang Tribe in South Sulawesi, Asmat tribe in Papua and the Wailago area in East Nusa Tenggara.