Press release: National Police of Timor-Leste is committed to promote gender equality in the institution by unveiling its first Gender Strategy for 2018-2022

Dili, 8/16 —Today, the National Police of Timor-Leste (PNTL) demonstrated its commitment to promote gender equality within the institution by officially launching its Gender Strategy (2018-2022). This Strategy was the result of a long process of collaboration between PNTL and UN Women in Timor-Leste, under leadership of the Chief of the Gender Cabinet of the PNTL, with support from the Government of Japan. Development partners, such as Australia’s Timor-Leste Police Development Program (TLPDP) and UNDP also collaborated in the Strategy’s development.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Guilhermina F.S. Ribeiro, the Director General of Corporate Service for the Ministry of Interior, stressed that,

“The Strategy will not achieve success by itself. It will require financing from the PNTL. It should allocate the necessary resources for the activities to ensure that the strategy will bear fruits”.

Ms. Ribeiro is also the current President for the Ministry of Interior Gender Working Group.

The official launch of the Strategy was followed by a workshop to identify priorities for the implementation of the Strategy in 2019. Members of PNTL from various units and department and gender focal points from each municipality including the Special Region of Oecusse contributed to the exercise. Representative of development partners as well as civil society organizations joined for the launch.

In his official remark, Chief Superintendent Jerónimo Carlos, the Inspector General of PNTL—who was representing the General Commander of PNTL—said that,

“When it comes to developing strategy, we need to see it in breadth and in depth. We should consider views from various parties, not just one. Therefore, I am glad to see that all of you here represent the aspirations of female PNTL members. I believe it will be a good guide and of course the PNTL institution will support the priorities decided today”.

Across the world, security forces and police institutions are looking to strengthen ties with the people they are protecting. We continue to see evidence that when security forces represent the people, they can understand the issues and concerns of the population they have a mandate to protect.

By increasing female PNTL at the community level, as well as training the PNTL officers on gender equality, gender-based violence, and related skills related to communication, the strategy will help build more cohesion in communities, addressing the widespread violence that women and young girls are facing, as well as the group violence often involving young men.

“We know that women, men, girls and boys experience security in different ways, because we all have different abilities and identities, and this makes our life experiences different”, said Sunita Caminha, Head of Office of UN Women Timor-Leste. “With this Strategy, the PNTL is making an important commitment to be a force defending the rights of all women, men, girls and boys in Timor-Leste, with clear targets for five years which we can all support”, continued Ms. Caminha.