Gender Equality East Timor Project #63014

Women Protection, Peace and Economic Development

by Ba Futuru / For the Future

Women Protection, Peace and Economic Development

Project Report | Mar 10, 2025
Project Activity Report

By Judith de Sousa | Executive Director

Project Activity Report - Women and Child Protection, Economic Development and the Promotion of Peace and Democracy Project

The implementation of ‘Women Protection, Peace and Economic Development project’ in Covalima and Ermera Municipalities are currently still ongoing. In the follow up session, the female beneficiaries continue to create business action plans to control their expenses and increase savings for their children's school fees. The female participants felt more confident to establish saving and loan groups as well as cooperative groups to save money and enlarge their businesses through various products. Women groups and individual businesswomen made excellent changes through individual and group action plans. Beneficiaries have successfully changed their financial management systems, resulting in more secure and effective business operations.

Participants realized that the information from the training activities, particularly on Human Rights, Positive Discipline and Gender-Based Violence Prevention, empowered them to understand how their past behavior had violated their family member’s rights and inspired them to change their personal conduct. After participating in the training, the female participants from Covalima Municipality, shared the knowledge and experience they have gained through their participation in the program with other group members, young girls, families, and colleagues. Most of the women who benefitted from this program have acquired skills in peaceful negotiation and mediation, enabling them to resolve family and group conflicts without resorting to violence.

Also, the theatre training activities on children's rights and community showcases conducted by the children at Covalima Municipality had a significant impact. Parents, community members, children and community leaders, reported that children gained more confidence. Furthermore, parents observed positive behavioral and mental changes in their children after participating in the activity.

A mother who participated in theater showcase said: “I got several important messages from this theater- I learned about domestic violence prevention and sharing work between women and men in completing domestic chores. I also know that domestic violence is not just a problem in the family, but a public crime and everyone who knows about it is obliged to report it to the relevant parties such as the police. This theater also made me aware about the importance of preventing discrimination against people with disabilities because they also have the same rights as us and we are obliged to support them whenever they need us. In addition, I learned more about how to protect children from malaria by ensuring that they do not to play in places where there are mosquito nests. I am very grateful for both the training and the theater showcase. I observed a meaningful change in my son’s behavior where before participating in this activity my child had always been shy to speak in front of many people. However, after participating in the theater training with Ba Futuru's team, my son began to gain confidence to speak in front of many people, and he is now more aware about his rights and obligations. For example, when he comes home after training, he starts talking about the right to play, the right to go to school, but he also says that he has to fulfill his obligation to obtain those rights such as by going to school on time, obeying school rules, playing moderately but not until late at night, not being violent with fellow playmates, and being loving towards others”.

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Nov 13, 2024
An Excellent Change for Business Women

By I. Nadia Sequeira Ribeiro | Programme Manager

Conflict Resolution Training

The implementation of ‘Women Protection, Peace and Economic Development project’ in Covalima and Ermera Municipalities.

The training activities showed a significant result from the women participants who have improved their knowledge, and show commitment to do their business plan, action plan for saving and loans and also finding solutions for problem that might arise. They have an initiative to develop a draft for financial planning and action plan, such as building a place for their business in order to: promote their products, establish a business and saving money for their children’s school fees. In addition, the women participants felt confident in identifying their asset, set the value of each assets and utilize the existing assets to support their income.

On the other hand, they have increased their knowledge in positive strategies on how to discipline their children and resolve conflict without using of violence. After participating in the training, particularly on Human Rights, Positive Discipline and gender-based violence prevention sessions, the participants realized that this information was very helpful to them.

A woman beneficiary shared: this information was very helpful in changing my personal behavior within my family. I have a positive change in my life and I have recognized that my past behaviors have violated my family member’s rights. I have improved my communication skills with my partner and family members because I have understood and applied the positive strategies.”

Women's groups and individual businesswomen made excellent changes through individual and group action plans. They have carried out their actions planned, follow the steps and majority of them have reached what was planned and proceed with other action plans. Some women groups have realized their dreams/goals through stabilized saving and loan groups, save money to enlarge their business through various products. From all beneficiaries they have changed the financial management of their respective businesses much better and safer way. There are also those who feel that the topic of Positive Discipline and Child protection is very helpful to better understand children's rights and how to educate children using the positive strategies.

The women participants from both places, Covalima and Ermera Municipalities, have shared their knowledge and experience that they have gained from the training program with their group members, young girls, families and colleagues. Instead, majority of women have learned the skills to resolve conflicts within their families and group members without violence through peaceful negotiation and mediation.

One-on-One Support

Women Economic Empowerment

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Jul 16, 2024
A Wonderful Milestone for the Women Beneficiaries

By Judith Maria de Sousa | Project Leader

The implementation of ‘Women Protection, Peace and Economic Development project’ in Covalima and Ermera Municipalities, women's groups and individual businesswomen made excellent changes through individual and group action plans. They have carried out the actions planned, follow the steps and the majorities of them reach an action plan and proceed with other action plans. Some women groups have realized their dreams through rehabilitating of buildings to store and sell their products, buying freezers to store and maintain product quality, enlarging their business through various products, setting up cooperative groups, adding goods to their stalls, adding various vegetables and using local product to produce varieties of cakes. From all beneficiaries they have changed the financial management of their respective businesses for better and safer.

The municipality forum activities encouraged the women groups and Individual businesswoman to make a decision in their family and communities and empower the woman beneficiaries to feel confident in doing some of the business activities in their lives. On the other hand, the women group and individual businesswoman could learn some new information from the guest speakers as well as exchange their experience to each other during the forum in order to empower them on innovative business plan.

The innovative business plan competition result showed that the winners from Covalima and Ermera Municipalities have utilized the support material from Ba Futuru project team to improve their group and individual businesswoman activities. On the other hand, the national forum had a positive result because the participants could exchange their experience to each other on how to develop products and some of the group already started implement the way of running a business from other groups that they obtained during the national forum in Dili. These results showed that the women beneficiaries had an innovative thinking on how to increase their income in order to, maintain the family economy.

The women participants from both places Covalima and Ermera Municipalities with various ages have shared their knowledge and experience they have gained from the training program with their group members, young girls, families and colleagues. Instead, some of the women have used their skills to resolve conflicts within their families and groups member.

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