Violence against women is a significant problem in Timor-Leste. According to the latest Nabilan Report[1], three in five women aged between 15-49 years have experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Of these women, four in five of them have experienced severe acts of violence (meaning they required health care). Most men and women in Timor-Leste have a high degree of acceptance and tolerance of violence in the home. Four in five men and women agreed that hitting a wife in certain circumstances, such as not finishing household work, was justified. 

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In 1993, the world came together to adopt the UN Declaration of the Elimination of Violence Against Women. In Article 3, it was affirmed:

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“Women are entitled to the equal enjoyment and protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.”

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The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015 by the UN, highlight the need to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls in the public and private sphere if we are to realise the SDG Goal 5 of achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.

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The Timorese government enacted a Law Against Domestic Violence in 2010 and seeks to work with local and international NGOs to prevent domestic violence, protect women against all forms of violence, and provide practical support and justice to survivors.

 

FUNDEF works on the prevention of violence through education. We run workshops and conduct follow up with participants on the topics of ‘Managing Conflict in the Family’, ‘Communication without Violence’, ‘Safety, Accountability, Responsibility and Respect’, ‘Men reducing violence against women’, ‘Protecting Children’, and ‘Building positive family relationships’.

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The training is informed by Lori Heise’s ecological framework for violence prevention.[2] This model shows us that multiple factors lead to men perpetrating violence towards women. These factors are played out across several levels of influence that interact with each other, that is; the individual, the interpersonal, the community, and society. FUNDEF’s workshops and follow up guidance aims to cover topics and target groups/individuals at various levels of influence.

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[1] Understanding Violence against Women and Children in Timor-Leste: Finding from the Nabilan Baseline Study 2016

[2] Heise, L. (2011) What works to prevent partner violence? An evidence overview, UN Women, Thailand.