Dili – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), recently organized a workshop (11-12 October) to showcase the achievements and success stories of the Together for Equality (T4E) project, funded by the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The project aims at enforcing implementation, monitoring, and adequate resourcing of legislation and policies to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) through a series of empowerment activities that can recover and rebuild the lives of women and girls subjected to GBV. It also complements Timor-Leste’s National Action Plan for GBV led by the Secretary of State for Equality (SEI) and supports the implementation of the National Sustainable Development Goals Roadmap. 

GBV is one of the most pressing human rights issues in Timor-Leste, with almost 67 per cent of women having experienced intimate partner violence and more than 74 per cent women believing that a man is justified in physically beating his wife. In 2021, tropical cyclone Seroja brought heavy rains that caused flooding, affecting over 178,000 individuals in 13 municipalities. Nearly half of the affected population (49 per cent) were women and girls and their pre-existing vulnerabilities are exacerbated during. emergencies 

“IOM’s role in the T4E project supports the One UN approach in addressing GBV. IOM focuses on the prevention of GBV through disaster risk and reduction, by which women and girls are empowered through livelihood training and active participation in disaster management committees” said Ihma Shareef, IOM Timor-Leste Chief of Mission. 

The workshop saw the discussions on the progress and lessons learned to scale up the strategy and ensure the project’s sustainability. 

The latest figures show that T4E positively impacts 54,422 direct beneficiaries, including 31,6599 women, 22,668 men, 10 LGBTQIA+ community members, and 84 people with disabilities across four municipalities. The project has also supported 18 government institutions and 29 civil society organizations. 

“We stand unwavering in our commitment to collaborative efforts with line ministries, municipal authorities, CSO partners, and development partners. Through T4E, we have achieved significant progress in changing social norms related to gender-based violence, primarily through educational sessions, while also enhancing service accessibility and quality to ensure inclusivity regardless of gender or ability” said Director General of SEI Armando da Costa. 

“As we celebrate these milestones, we acknowledge that our mission to end gender-based violence is an ongoing endeavour. SEI remains steadfast in our dedication to strengthening the implementation of the NAP-GBV to create a Timor-Leste where every individual lives free from violence” Armando da Costa added. 

United Nations Resident Coordinator for Timor-Leste, Funmi Balogun, emphasized that "the initiatives we undertake today and the dialogues we partake in during the next two days are beyond mere rhetoric and declarations. They constitute a genuine effort to transform our verbal pledges into concrete actions, our dedication into measurable outcomes. Our mission steadfastly centres on the pursuit of a Timor-Leste where every woman and girl can live without violence, where essential services are easily within reach, and where the pursuit of justice is not an aspiration but an attainable reality." 

In addition, KOICA Country Director Eunju Cha highlighted that since 2020, KOICA, in collaboration with the United Nations, has been implementing the T4E project to enable women and girls in Timor-Leste to escape violence and providing essential services to survivors of gender-based violence, thereby fostering a society where women's rights are respected and protected.

"Last year, 2022, the T4E project reached a total of 32,643 individuals, including 18,663 women and 13,980 men, providing diverse educational programs that aim to prevent gender-based violence. We anticipate completing similar-sized educational initiatives to improve women's rights in the coming years” said Eunju Cha. 

The showcase workshop marked a significant milestone for the project’s achievements and calls for a renewed commitment to ensuring its sustainability beyond the project phase, while also promoting institutional and societal ownership. 

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For more information, please contact: 
Maulana Iberahim, Media and Communications, IOM Timor-Leste miberahim@iom.int