DILI, 08 march 2024 (TATOLI) – As the world celebrates International Women’s Day (IWD) 2024 under the theme “Count Her In: Invest in Women. Timor-Leste accelerates Progress in Health sector, Response to Gender-based Violence and reaffirms its commitment to promoting gender equality and combating Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the country.
UNFPA supports sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, and the empowerment of women, and plays an important role in addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by women and girls in the country. In alignment with this mandate, this year’s IWD celebration focuses on raising awareness about the pervasive issue of GBV and its impact on women’s health.
The backdrop of this celebration sheds light on the concerning statistics revealed by the 2016 Timor-Leste Demographic Health Survey, indicating that one third (33%) of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical and sexual violence from their intimate partners. In response to these alarming numbers, UNFPA Timor-Leste is supporting the efforts to advocate for stronger responses within the health sector and increase investment in women’s health.
The activities of the International Women’s Day celebration aim to promote gender equality, empower women, and accelerate progress by addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and advocating for strengthening GBV response in the health system and integration into education systems. The celebration recognizes the interconnection between women’s economic empowerment and GBV.
Domingas Bernando, UNFPA Timor-Leste spokesperson said that: “To achieve the objective, UNFPA Timor-Leste has organized various activities, as part of the IWD2024 national campaign, it entails raising awareness about the impact of gender-based violence on women’s health, advocating for improved health sector responses to GBV and establishment and launch of Safe Spaces as dedicated facilities for supporting survivors of gender-based violence, and enhancing community engagement in addressing gender-based violence through targeted awareness and prevention.”
“These activities aim to foster collaboration, share best practices, and empower communities to actively combat GBV,” she said.
The anticipated outcomes of these initiatives include increased awareness of the impact of gender-based violence on women’s health, enhanced collaboration among stakeholders in the health sector, and improved community engagement in addressing and preventing gender-based violence.
As UNFPA Timor-Leste commemorates International Women’s Day, it calls upon all stakeholders to join hands in Counting Her In, Investing in Women and truly Accelerating Progress towards gender equality and the empowerment of women. Through collective efforts, UNFPA Timor-Leste remains steadfast in its commitment to fulfilling its mandate and creating a society where every woman and girl can live a life of dignity, free from violence and discrimination.
Speaking at the celebration of the International Women’s Day co-organized by UNFPA and the Ministry of Health, Health Minister, Elia Amaral raised the importance of fighting for the voiceless women and girls in the country to ensure they have access to their basic rights: “Let’s combat inequality and fight discrimination against women and gender-based violence in the country to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls in the country.”
According to Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016, 33 percent of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence at some time in their life. Women who have experienced physical violence at any time since the age of 15 was 49% in Covalima, 49% in Ermera, 50% in Liquiçá, and 56% in Oe-Cusse.
“I extend my heartfelt appreciation to UNFPA and other development partners and NGOs for their support in combating discrimination against women in the country,” said Minister Amaral.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins
