Gender Assessment of the Special Zones for Social Market Economy for Oecusse

The government of Timor-Leste plans to develop Special Zones for Social Market Economy (ZEESM) in all districts to address social as well as economic objectives. The district of Oecusse was chosen as the location for the first ZEESM under the supervision of former Prime Minister Dr Mari Alkatiri, and a Technical Team was formed to conduct a situational analysis of the Oecusse Pilot of ZEESM-Timor-Leste.  To ensure that the social and economic objectives identified by ZEESM plans can be achieved in an inclusive and gender sensitive manner, a gender assessment of Oecusse has been conducted by the Centre for Women and Gender Studies and UN Women.

The gender assessment analyses how gender differences and the effect of gender norms and stereotypes might result in different patterns of participation in the Special Zones for Social Market Economy in Oecusse. It also assesses how aspects of the pilot project might affect women and men differently and suggests ways to promote more equal access to participation and benefits.