Timor-Leste marches for Gender Equality
Date:
Author: Christina Yiannakis
A light breeze rustled the trees as a small crowd gathered in the shadowy light of the morning. Dressed in red, blue and yellow the crowed quickly began to multiply and a feeling of anticipation for the coming event filled the air.
By 9 A.M. hundreds of people had joined the diverse crowd, with numerous members of youth groups, women’s groups, the LGBT community, schools, universities, and religious groups, including members of the Catholic Church and the local Muslim Community, waiting side by side. The crowd was joined by ministers and high level officials from the ministries of the Interior, Social Solidarity, Commerce, Industry and the Environment, Tourism, Arts and Culture, Public Works, Transport and Communications, Health, Land and Property, as well as every member of both the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport, and the Secretary of State for the Support and Socio-Economic Promotion of Women (SEM). As the crowd’s excitement peaked, security and government vehicles appeared announcing the arrival of Timor-Leste’s new Prime Minister Rui Maria de Araujo to lead the International Women’s Day March through the capital city, Dili together with the Secretary of State for the Support and Socio-Economic Promotion of Women, Veneranda Lemos.
Thus began an event that saw hundreds of participants march while chanting and waving banners inspired by the Beijing Platform for Action’s 20th anniversary, to demand that government and citizens alike Step It Up for women’s rights and gender equality. To show his passion for the cause, His Excellency Rui Maria de Araujo insisted not just on leading the march, but on speaking at their final destination. “38 per cent of Timor-Leste’s Parliamentarians are women. However, our efforts to advance gender equality should not focus solely on numbers,” urged the Prime Minister. “We must also acknowledge the substance and quality of women’s power… gender inequality still remains high in rural areas where decision making at home and in Government is dominated by men.”
He was joined by the United Nations Resident Coordinator Knut Ostby and the Director of Rede Feto (Timor-Leste’s Women’s Network) Dinorah Granadeiro, as well as Yane Maia, a representative from the Alumni Association of Youth Parliament. Each speaker acknowledged the distance that Timor-Leste has come in relation to women’s rights, and the distance it still needs to travel to ensure gender equality is achieved.
“We need to integrate the needs of young women into government planning,” claimed Maia. “Because young women must be a part of the process to end discrimination against women and girls!” In a similar vein Dinorah Granadeiro reflected, “The Government must step up on efforts to implement laws and ensure access to justice for women in Timor-Leste.” The enthusiastic response to their words reflected Timor-Leste’s thirst for equality, as well as their desire to work together for the promotion of women’s rights and achievements.
The event ended with a dance that brought together all participants in celebration of women’s achievements and rights across the globe. The 12 organisations whose collaborative efforts led to the success of the event include SEM, Rede Feto, the Alumni Association of Youth Parliament, UN Women, Plan International, the World Health Organisation, Patria, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UNFPA, ILO, UNDP and Search for Common Ground. Cooperation between these partners will continue throughout 2015, as each month a new critical area of concern will be addressed in the bid to step up commitment to the Beijing Platform for Action.
For more information, please contact:
Christina Yiannakis, Advocacy officer
Email: [ Click to reveal ]