Gender in Timor-Leste | Current Resources of Interest

Gender in Timor-Leste

Since the vote for independence in 1999 in Timor-Leste, change to gender relations has been actively pursued through activism and advocacy, policy formation and program activities. The most common approach to gender has been an attempt to address the conditions of women’s lives. Even in these instances men tend to be often involved in learning practices and socialisation, not least as many Timorese women often demand that men must be involved in such gender-based activities in order to ensure longer-term transformation.

At a formal state level the pursuit of these goals has been evident through a range of activities. This has been evident for instance in a comparatively stronger representation in parliament by women, key articles in the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (Articles 17 and 50), and gender mainstreaming strategies for poverty reduction in the National Development Plan. There has also been the establishment in 2001 of the Office for the Promotion of Equality which is located in the Prime Minister’s office, as well as the ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Beyond the state, many East Timorese non-government organizations and community groups, often working in tandem with international organisations, have identified gender-focused change as essential to their work.

This critical mass of activity undertaken at state, government, civil society levels builds upon a long history of women’s activism and organising in Timor-Leste under the conditions of war, colonialism and occupation.

Our research is interested in understanding the impact of such activities, inquiring into where and how policies and programs have worked, and the kinds of effects that they have had on gender identity more generally. Many challenges remain. Despite the various attempts at transforming patriarchal structures and changing the nature of gender relations, many women remain limited in terms of their access to education, suffer poor standards of reproductive health, and severe problems with regards to gender-based violence. Even where changes have been made through state-policy and legislation, many women continue to identify the need to achieve effective social, economic and political participation of women in reality.

In 2006 Timor-Leste experienced a socio-political crisis that saw a significant degree of the population internally displaced. This has shifted the program work of many NGOs to a humanitarian response and even at an early stage it has been clear that the impact of the crisis has had significant implications in regard to gender.

Considering the 2006 crisis and the process of nation-formation in Timor-Leste generally, the aim of our research is to build upon existing knowledge so as to understand if and how perceptions of gender have changed. The key concerns that guide our research on gender include:

. engaging with ideas of nation, community, culture and tradition in regards to gender roles,
. disparate access to power, resources and formal institutions between women and men,
. limitations to women's spatial mobility due to security concerns and gendered social obligations, and
. linguistic, class, local and cultural differences between East Timorese women.

The following pages about Gender in Timor-Leste have been developed with the support of the Office for the Promotion of Equality, Prime Minister's Office, Timor-Leste and Irish Aid Timor-Leste.

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Current Resources of Interest

The following represent recently-released documents of particular pertinence to the theme of gender in Timor-Leste. Please see our Gender Resources page for a more extensive list of relevant resources.

    . Alldén, Susanne, 'Internalising the Culture of Human Rights: Securing Women's Rights in Post-Conflict East Timor', Asia-Pacific Journal on Human Rights and the Law, vol. 1, pp. 1-23, 2007 (forthcoming).
    . Alldén, Susanne, 'Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Women's Security - Analyzing Political Outputs in East Timor', Umeå Working Papers in Peace and Conflict Studies, no. 1, Umeå, 16 April 2007.
    . Alfuente Tuzon, Rhian and Juliette Chinaud, A Gender Perspective of the 2007 Parliamentary Elections of Timor-Leste, Part II: Media Monitoring and Gender Perspectives, UNMIT, Dili, 9 August 2007.
    . Alves, Maria Domingas Fernandes, Beba Sequeira no Laura Abrantes, Hau Fo Midar Hau Simu Moruk, Rede Feto Timor-Leste, Dili, 8 de Marsu 2007.
    . Chinaud, Juliette, Rhian Alfuente Tuzon and Idalina da Silva, A Gender Perspective of the 2007 Parliamentary Elections of Timor-Leste, Part I, UNMIT, Dili, 9 August 2007.
    . Grenfell, Damian and Anna Trembath, eds, Challenges and Possibilities: International Organizations and Women in Timor-Leste, Globalism Institute, RMIT University, Melbourne, December 2007, ISBN 978-0-64648459. (Also available in Tetun)
    . Harris Rimmer, Susan, 'Beloved Madam: Timorese Women at the Indonesian ad hoc Human Rights Court', in Binchy and Aoife Nolan, eds, Timor-Leste: Issues of Justice and Human Rights, Clarus Press, Dublin, forthcoming 2007.
    . Harris Rimmer, Susan, 'Orphans or Veterans? Justice for Children Born of War in East Timor', in R. Charli Carpenter, ed., Born of War, Kumarian Press, 2007.
    . Harris Rimmer, Susan, 'Orphans or Veterans? Justice for Children Born of War in East Timor', Texas International Law Journal, vol. 42, no. 3, June 2007.
    . Forum Komunikasi untuk Perempuan Timor Lorosa'e (FOKUPERS), Husi Eventu Inesquecivel Livru Memória: Lian Feto Faluk Durante Krize Politíka 2006, FOKUPERS no Alola Foundation, Dili, 2007.
    . Trembath, Anna and Damian Grenfell, Mapping the Pursuit of Gender Equality: Non-Government and International Agency Activity in Timor-Leste, Globalism Institute, RMIT University, and Irish Aid, Melbourne, August 2007, ISBN 978-0-646-47770-1. (Also available in Tetun)
 



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