DILI, 11 october 2024 (TATOLI) – Today, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Timor-Leste Midwives Association (APTL) and with financial support from UNFPA through the Together for Equality Project funded by KOICA, conducted a one-day sensitization workshop on the health sector’s response to GBV for 50 midwives from Dili Municipality.
At the opening of the event, Dircio Francisco X.F. Ximenes, UNFPA’s Programme Analyst emphasized GBV as a human rights violation and a public health issue with multidimensional consequences, with, one-third (33%) of women aged 15-49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
“The health care system is the only institution that interacts with almost every woman at some point in her life and women exposed to violence visit health services more frequently than non-abused women. Health service providers especially midwives, have a critical role to play in providing survivor-centered care and services for women living with violence,” Dircio Francisco X.F. Ximenes told reporter at the City8 Dili on Friday.
Ximenes further said that, UNFPA Timor-Leste implemented the GBV portfolio program in close collaboration with supporting Ministry of Health to enhance efforts to ensure that all women and girls in Timor-Leste enjoy their right to live free from gender-based violence, and access quality essential services by improving and enhancing the capacity of health sector to provide a quality service to GBV survivors: “This included capacity building to health care providers and establishment of safe spaces and improvement of health facility readiness well-equipped with medical and non-medical items and job aids to provide first-line support and other components of essential health service package as required to ensure privacy and confidentiality. UNFPA remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Health, including APTL to prevent and respond to GBV.”
Mateus Pinto Director of the Dili Health Municipal Centre, highlighted that the GBV program is very important, has now been fully integrated into the national health agenda: “The Ministry of Health, together with UNFPA, has trained healthcare providers, including midwives and doctors, across the country. We will continue to collaborate with partners to enhance the health sector’s capacity to respond to GBV, with the ultimate goal of ending Gender-Based Violence in Timor-Leste.”
At the same place the President of APTL , Lidia Gomes on behalf of the all midwives thanked the Ministry of Health and the UNFPA which has supported the program of GBV to ensuring the quality of health services system in Timor – Leste.
“ On behalf of the APTL I thanked the Minister of Health and the UNFPA ‘s supporting during this time and ask to the widwives to focus on this seminar aiming to implement the issue of GBV in your daily work to ensuring the health quality services system in Timor – Leste,’’ she concluded.
Timor-Leste has made strong policy responses against GBV through its national laws and policies and through its commitments to international conventions addressing the issue. In 2010 Timor-Leste passed and promulgated the Law Against Domestic Violence (LADV) followed by the development, approval, and implementation of two National Action Plan on GBV (NAP-GBV) 2012-2014, NAP-GBV 2017-2021 and NAP-GBV 2022-2032) to support implementation of the LADV.
To support the operationalization of the NAP-GBV, the Ministry of Health, with technical assistance from UNFPA, developed and implemented a National Guideline in 2018 and a Training Package in 2021-2022 for the health sector’s response to GBV, including Intimate Partner Violence. These efforts include capacity building to healthcare providers, improving health facilities, procuring necessary medicines and supplies, and equipping Safe Spaces and health facilities with job aids to provide comprehensive care for GBV survivors.
Journalist: Camilio de Sousa
Editor: Filomeno Martins