Timor Leste is still at very early stages in its development as an independent nation. While its problems can easily be viewed as overwhelming, stemming from the eruptions and mass destruction that launched its independence in 1999, it’s government has taken a very liberal international approach toward designing its constitution and laws. On paper, Timor would appear to be an excellent place to be a woman. The Constitution guarantees equal rights and responsibilities for women and men in family, cultural, social, economic and political life (Article 17). It also guarantees protection against discrimination based on sex, as well as equality of rights and obligations in work and choosing of profession (Article 50). Women are well represented in Parliament[1] and in the police force[2]. A specialist Vulnerable Persons Unit has been established within the police to deal with domestic violence and other gender based cases and already operates at central, district and sub district levels. East Timor’s Constitution incorporates the provisions of CEDAW into domestic law[3] and it contains provisions relating directly to the equality of women in all areas of family, political, economic, social and cultural life.[4] In 2004, Decree Law 5 was passed requiring village leaders take a proactive role in prevention and intervention in domestic violence and East Timor is soon to enact a law specifically targeting domestic violence. Despite all these protective measures, why then is domestic violence still devastating the lives of so many Timorese women? Why were domestic violence cases making up a huge 67% of all cases brought to the police nationwide between Jan and Aug 2004?[5] And why did roughly half of women surveyed in 2002 report at least 1 violent incident in the past year and a full half of all Timorese women surveyed felt “unsafe” in their marriage?[6]

Based on the demands of the first congress of Women of Timor-Leste, held in Dili14-17 June 2000, the following issues were identified as vital:

While the need for such widespread action to prevent violence is clear, the foundation upon which to base such a movement has yet to be developed. A brief training, no matter how good, will not result in the major behavior changes required to put an end to this devastating problem. In Timor Leste, as with many other countries, violence prevention and protection services are targeted towards women. However, in many Timorese households men are the sole-decision makers. Therefore, while women may be equipped with the necessary knowledge to make better decisions about the well being of their lives, they are not empowered to make these changes. This situation is exemplified in the circumstantial inability of women to make demands or have a voice in community or family negotiations.

In order to begin healthy inter-gender dialogue about gender relations and equality, it is necessary to challenge current gender norms. Cultural notions of women as the weaker sex and women as property are still very active within Timor Leste. The prevalence of such attitudes do not allow women control over their own lives, sexuality, and decision-making power. Those making decisions are usually not sensitized to issues of GBV and women’s rights and as a result decisions may blame the victim or not punish the abuse appropriately. Processes are usually not transparent and based on patriarchal beliefs about the roles of women and men in society and the family[8]. While poverty, drunkenness, and the harsh experiences of Indonesian colonialism are given by Timorese as the reasons for DV, the following provide a fuller list of reasons[9]:

· Patriarchal organization of society and strongly held beliefs that men are the head of the family

· Cultural beliefs and practices such as bride price (barlaque) and traditional systems of law and conflict resolution (adat)

· Problematic behaviors such as abuse of alcohol, gambling and betting on cock-fights

· Infertility (for example, if a woman and a man are unable to conceive a child together, the woman is almost always blamed and may suffer abuse, abandonment or the infidelity of her male partner as a result)

· Family involvement in marriages: family pressure not to take issues of abuse outside the family

· Family involvement: specifically the role of in-laws gossiping and complaining about the wife; husbands side with mothers not their wives

· The role of the Catholic Church, which emphasizes the need to keep families together, in spite of difficulties

· Catholicism preaches women were created from Adam’s rib and is thus interpreted as women being inferior to men

· A high value is placed on the chastity of women, while there is a belief that extra-marital relationships on the part of men is normal

· Public opinion that domestic violence and sexual assault are a normal part of life (for example, sexual assault is often posed as the result of women acting outside of cultural norms of behavior such as wearing tight or short clothing)^{^[10]}

Creating Training Materials for Domestic Violence Prevention

The Training Manual (TM) was created for facilitators in line with the perceived needs of a low-literate, highly patriarchic culture. It was created to serve as a trainer’s manual, a reliable source of information for strengthening the chefe’s role in increasing the welfare of his or her community, where community welfare is linked directly to gender equality and the active involvement of communities to mobilize and prevent domestic violence. These materials form a reference for techniques aimed at achieving behavior change. The materials require highly committed, thoroughly gender-sensitive training specialists to guide trainings for village leaders, who will, in turn, initiate a strategic and localized approach toward community mobilization to confront the problems of gender inequity and domestic violence.

This training manual was designed with the following ideas as foundation. First, all participants need to understood that domestic violence is not a woman’s problem but a concern of the entire community. This is based upon two significant facts:

1) gender inequity is the root cause of domestic violence, and

2) gender is a result of the community’s beliefs about women and men.

Thus, the entire community has a role to play in changing these core value systems that hurt women, the community, and the nation in turn.

Second, we cannot lose track of the fact that change is a process, not a single event. To influence an entire community to change its beliefs about gender and gender roles will require time and widespread involvement. Leading figures, celebrities, teachers, police, as well as ordinary men and women, all have to be convinced that changing their expectations of gender roles is in their own, their community’s, and their nation’s best interest.

Third, it is important to recognize that a few trainings and posters is not enough. For a community to change, there needs to be clear and visible action from a wide range of people who endorse the new value, who publicly pronounce their support for gender equity, and demonstrate as role models a different way of behaving in their everyday activities. Thus, while UNIFEM has strong justification for this training program to target chefe to not only learn but act on these new attitudes, this training alone is clearly not enough.

Such major changes as these require patience in persuading as many community members as possible that it is in the personal interests of all community members to take an active role in creating more equitable norms and customs between women and men, boys and girls. If the local community has no active role in these changes, but are rather treated as ‘Targets’ for various top-down activities, our efforts here, no matter how sincere, will not have the desired impact. In the strongest possible terms, the consultant suggests a mass movement be created, through broad cooperation and coordination of all interested partners, that targets ALL members of society –including elders and children. Such a movement can easily be tied to Minister Ramos Horta’s concept of Zones of Peace.

The TM is divided into three sections. The first part focuses on gender and social inequality, gender roles and expectations from both male and female perspectives. Part 2 focuses on DV and provides a technical understanding as well as guides for participants to find practical suggestions for prevention. Part 3 is specifically designed to provide participants with the process and means to begin community mobilizing for change. Because of the community mobilizing components in the training, all participants are encouraged to create gender equity and violence prevention activities for their village. As a result, there needs to be implemented a long-term strategy from which to build on the momentum and foundation provided by the manual in combination with on-going UNIFEM activities in gender equity and leadership as well as partner organizations.

[1] 27% of the current seats in Parliament are occupied by women. Women hold two senior cabinet positions, Minister of State and Minister of Finance and Planning, and three vice minister positions. One of the three judges on the Appeals Court is a woman.

[2] Despite intense competition for the limited available jobs in East Timor, the East Timorese Police Force (PNTL) is comprised of 30% female officers.

[3] See section 9 of the Constitution.

[4] See section 17 and s39(3) further provides that “marriage shall be based upon free consent by the parties and on terms of full equality of rights between spouses, in accordance with the law.”

[5] Robertson, Kathryn. Case Study on Gender-Based Violence in Timor Leste. UNFPA. 2005

[6] IRC Pilot Study. 2002

[7] It is unclear if this statement refers to domestic violence or violence perpetrated during Indonesian occupation.

{8] Robertson, Kathryn. Case Study on Gender-Based Violence in Timor Leste. UNFPA. 2005

[9] ibid. with several adaptations.

[10] Office for the Promotion of Equality and Oxfam (2003). Consultation on Domestic Violence Legislation. OPE: Dili.