In the words of Manuela Soares Brites: “To build a respectful and healthy family, we treat our girls and boys equally”

Manuela Soares Brites, 42, is a mother, an entrepreneur, and a field officer in Ermera, Timor-Leste, for the Connect with Respect programme, which works with parents and teachers in three municipalities to promote gender equality and end violence against women in the family and community. The programme is part of the European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative and was jointly implemented by UN Women and the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Aloha Foundation and Mane ho Vizaun Foun (Men with New Vision). This interview took place on 28 September 2022.

Date: Thursday, 20 October 2022

Author: Helio Miguel

Manuela Soares Brites is siting in her garden carrying her cellphone. The photo is taken by Helio Miguel

Manuela Soares Brites is shown by her home garden in Ermera, Timor-Leste on 28 September 2022, when she attended a European Union-United Nations Spotlight Initiative training. Photo: UN Women/Helio Miguel

English | Tetun

It was in 1995 that I terminated my ninth grade study and moved to live with my husband along with his adopted family. Days and days I passed just being at home and only doing things I was asked to do, which mostly helped my husband. The household work and farming were mostly done by us because all his cousins went to school.

One afternoon, I made the decision to leave the house with our daughter and ran to mother-in-law’s house. A few hours later, my husband came and asked me to go back, but I said no. So he decided to stay with us.

My husband started to work in construction and I started to engage in activities outside. Then I was invited by our chief village to be one of the village’s youth leaders. Then I was called to work in the church.

Back from the devastating crisis in 1999 [transition to independence from Indonesia], my husband came home and told me about a one-year school program in Dili by the UNMIT (United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor) and Ministry of Education for those who didn’t have a high school degree. I didn’t think twice. My husband … took care of the children and did the household work when I was at school.

With the certificate earned, I worked doing some administrative work at the Canossian nuns in Dili. In 2012, I started working for the NGO Alola Foundation … and since 2021, as the field officer for the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative in Ermera and leading the Connect with Respect programme in five schools. The coordination work I’ve been doing with the local authorities leveled up my confidence to deliver training, make decisions and reports. I’ve been also attending capacity-building on building respect, gender equality and ending violence against women as part of the Spotlight Initiative.

Since then, I’ve been aware that to build a respectful and healthy family, we (should) treat our girls and boys equally. Our boys did more of the household work. My husband and I also didn’t think twice about sending our daughter to the university. Everyone also started to help with the family garden business.

Our first daughter has told me she would pay for my study at university. My husband also said that when he receives his veteran’s money, he would like to invest in my education. And I want to study agriculture to help expand the farm.”

Lian husi Manuela Soares Brites: “Atu harí familia ida nakonu ho respeitu malu no saudavel, ami trata oan feto no mane hanesan”

Manuela Soares Brites, idade 42 hanesan inan, nain ba negosiu, no ofisial kampu ba programa ‘Halo Ligasaun ho Respeitu’ iha Ermera, ne’ebé servisu ho inan-aman no manorin sira iha munisipiu tolu hodi promove igualdade jéneru no hapara violénsia hasoru feto iha familia no komunidade. Programa ne’e parte husi União Europeia – Nasoins Unidas nia Inisiativa Spotlight ne’ebé implementa husi UN Women no Organizasaun Non-Govermental (ONG) Fundasaun Alola no Mane ho Vizaun Foun. Entrevista ne’e hala’o iha 28 Setembru 2022.

Loron: Segunda, 3 Outubro 2022

Author: Helio Miguel

Manuela Soares Brites tur hela iha nia jardim ai-funan iha Ermera, iha loron 28 Setembru 2022, depoizde atende treinamentu husi programa inisiativa spotlight. Foto: UN Women/Helio Miguel.

English | Tetun

Hau termina hau nia estudu iha tinan 1995, iha deit terseiru ano ensino pre-sekundaria no tenki ba hela ho hau nia kaben ho nia inan-aman hakiak. Lor-loron hau pasa tempu iha uma deit no halo saida mak ema haruka hau atu halo, ne’ebé dala barak liu mak ajuda hau nia kaben. Ami rua hau nia kaben mak barak liu halo servisu uma laran no iha to’os tamba nia prima no prima sira iha uma laran eskola hotu.

Iha loro-kraik ida, hau foti desizaun hodi halai sai husi uma ho hau nia oan feto, ba iha hau nia banin nia uma ki’ik oan ida ne’ebé nia hela mesak deit. Iha kalan ne’e kedan hau nia kaben tuir kedas hau ba no haruka ami atu fila fali, maibe hau dehan lae. Entaun nia mos decide mai hamutuk ho ami.

Hela mesak ho banin, hau nia kaben komesa servisu hanesan badaen no hau komesa involve an iha atividade. Loron ida xefe suku konvida hau atu sai hanesan membru lideransa foin sa’e potensial suku nian. Depois hau mos ba servisu iha igreija.

Fila husi krize 1999, hau nia kaben rona informasaun kona ba programa eskola tinan ida husi UNMIT no Ministerio Edukasaun ba ema sira ne’ebé la remata ensino baziku. Wainhira nia koalia mai hau, hau ba kedas rejistu. Hau nia kaben mak ajuda haré labarik sira no halo servisu uma laran wainhira hau ba eskola.

Ho certifikadu ne’ebé hau hetan, hau komesa ba servisu administrasaun iha madre Canosiana Dili. Iha 2012, hau komesa servisu iha Fundasaun Alola no iha 2021 hau asume kargu núdar ofisial kampu ba programa Inisiativa Spotlight iha munisipiu Ermera no lidera programa ‘Halo Ligasaun ho Respeitu’ iha eskola lima. Husi servisu koordenasaun ne’ebé hau halo ho autoridade lokal sira, hasa’e hau nia fiar án atu lidera treinamentu, foti desizaun no halo relatoriu sira. Hau mos atende ona treinamentu barak kona ba kria relasaun ho respeitu, igualdade jéneru no hapara violénsia hasoru feto sira, hanesan parte ida husi Inisiativa Spotlight.

Ho koñesementu sira ne’e, hau realiza katak atu harí familia ida nakonu ho respeitu malu no saudavel, ita tenki trata oan feto no mane hanesan. Iha uma laran ami nia oan mane sira halo servisu barak. Hau nia kaben ho hau mos la hanoin barak atu haruka ami nia oan feto ba iha universidade. Labarik sira iha uma laran mos komesa ona ajuda servisu halo negosiu husi ami nia to’os laran.

Ami nia oan feto bót hatete ba hau dehan atu selu hau ba eskola tan. Hau nia kaben mos dehan mai hau katak wainhira nia osan veteranus sai, nia hakarak investe ba hau nia edukasaun no hau hakarak atu estuda tan kona ba agrikultura atu bele habelar liu tan ami nia negosiu iha to’os laran.”