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UNMIT NEWSLETTER

United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste

Issue No 10316 Nov 2009

Timor-Leste says no to violence against womenYouth Congress in Fohorem,Covalima

inging, dancing, ower petals casca-ding into the warm sea and anunveiled painting ensured that Timor-Leste’s National Women’s Day, November3rd 2009, was marked with creativity,color and air. Approximately 300 peopleattended the celebrations, honoring Timorese women’s role in the history o the country, rom their involvement in thestruggle to independence to their work rebuilding the nation.In the midst o the celebrations, the currentchallenges women ace were not orgotten.Vows to end violence against women weremade by dignitaries and attendees alike.President Jose RamosHorta, Prime MinisterXanana Gusmao, Presidento the ParliamentFernando Lasama deAraujo and the Ministeror Social Solidarity, MariaDomingas Alves, amongother notables, launcheda joint campaign to com-bat domestic violence.Each signed and wroteindividual messages onpostcards proclaiming“Domestic Violence is now a public crime.Anyone can report it. You could go to jail.” The postcard campaign tacklingviolence against women is part o theUnited Nation’s eorts to achieve theMillennium Development Goals in Timor-Leste. Spearheaded by UNIFEM, the joint campaign is a combined eort o UNMIT, UNFPA, UNICEF, and IOM, andthe Spanish MDG Achievement Fund. The Secretariat or the Promotion o Equality (SEPI), the National Police o Timor-Leste (PNTL) and a variety o Timorese NGOs led by FOKUPERS are alsoinstrumental in ensuring the campaign’ssuccess. The postcards will be circulated throughout Timor-Leste so Timorese people havethe opportunity to express their eelings,opposition, and hopes or change on theissue o domestic violence. The campaignwill raise awareness that domestic violenceis a crime, eaturing or the frst time in thepenal code. It also promotes the approvalo the Law against Domestic Violence,which has been passed by the Council o Ministers but yet to be debated in NationalParliament.Despite the inspiring stories o manywomen woven into Timorese history,domestic violence is prevalent. Manywomen reportedly live with, or with thethreat o, physical abuse. A 2003 study bythe International Rescue Committee oundthat 51% o women consulted elt unsaein their relationship with their husband. The postcards are part o a larger publiceducation strategy concerning the legalstatus o domestic violence, with a mediapublicity campaign to be launched inOecussi on November 24th.

ver our hundred (400) youngpeople attended recently a YouthCongress in Fohorem, Covalima,to discuss culture, peace and humanrights issues. The ‘Consuelo Pastoral’, aChurch organization, together with thecommunity Priest Justino Galvao, chie o the congress committee, organizedthe event. He said: “the objectives o thecongress are to consider the uture o our young generations and to promotea culture o peace and human rights. Ouryouths are the bone o our churh, ouramily and our nation”.Herculano Oliveira Amaral, a secondaryschool student in Fohorem, said: “thecongress taught me to be patientwith others and fnd solutions to solveproblems instead o fghting”. He addedthat both young men and women havethe same responsibility to build peace in Timor-Leste.

» UN Photo/Domingos da Costa

Youth congress in Fohorem, Covalima.

» UN Photo/Antoninho Bernardino

Launch of the postcard campaign tackling violence against women.

WFP nutritiontraining in Baucau

he World Food Programme (WFP)and the Ministry o Health (MoH)conducted training on basic nutri-tion or mother and child health, on 28 and29 October in Baucau. Attendees includedsta rom Baucau district nutritionprogramme, Ministry o Healthrepresentatives as well as WFP ood aidmonitors. The topics discussed includedtypes and causes o malnutrition, aswell as the objective o SupplementaryFeeding Program, aimed at preventingand reducing malnutrition.Angela da Costa Gusmao, a participantin the training, said: “during two days wehave received lots o new inormation. Idid not have any knowledge o nutrition,now I can improve my capability to work in the feld”.