LocationsSpotlight Initiative
Spotlight Initiative
To address the challenges of violence against women and girls (VAWG), the European Union (EU) and the United Nations have embarked on a new multi-year programme - the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative. The Spotlight Initiative in Timor-Leste is being implemented through five UN agencies (UN Women, UNFPA, UNDP, UNICEF, and ILO) with a focus on addressing intimate partner violence and domestic violence. The UNDP’s actions focus on strengthening evidence-based legislation to address violence against women and girls, capacity strengthening of institutions and municipal authorities to plan, fund, and deliver evidence-based programs that prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV), engaging with partners on GBV prevention initiatives via media, and ensuring that survivors of GBV have access to quality essential and legal services.
Photo from Oé-Cusse, Timor-Leste
Background
Timor-Leste is at an important crossroad in 2019, after achieving significant progress in the 20 years since its historic vote for independence. The young country of 1.18 million people has made many milestones demonstrating its commitment to ending violence against women and girls (EVAWG) and intimate partner violence. At the same time, the youthful nation, with more than 75% of the population under 35 and more than half living in rural areas, has been unable to shift the high tolerance for men’s perpetration of violence against women.
The Programme will apply a lifecycle approach to violence, recognizing the continuum of violence that women and girls may experience, their exposure to specific forms of violence across each stage of their life, as well as the need to adapt the prevention and responses accordingly.
Major Achievements
- 36 Vulnerable Persons' Unit Officers (24 females; 12 males) have enhanced their knowledge on investigating cases of sexual assault & child abuse after attending training delivered in collaboration with TLPDP and PNTL Training Centre;
- 116 Community Police Officers (13 females; 103 males) across the country have increased awareness on how to handle sensitive cases of gender-based violence and intimate partner violence occurring in the community;
- More than 420 survivors of gender-based violence in safehouses received food and non-food items following the April 2021 floods;
- A comprehensive assessment of laws, policies, and practices affecting gender equality and gender justice in Timor-Leste has been completed, accompanied by 3 knowledge products;
- A total of 156 people, including youth and women, (70 females, 86 males) participated in awareness-raising campaigns on the formal justice system and gender-based violence, mostly at the village level and in rural areas of Bobonaro, Ermera, and Viqueque
Project Outcome
The project aims to:
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Related Materials
Spotlight Initiative Factsheet 2021 |
Country Programme Documents |
