Theme - Women s Access to Their Rights and Entitlements

Women Participating in Decision Making and Dispute Resolution in Timor-Leste The Blending of Customary and Civil Laws - a Gigantic Challenge

Marilyn Davis August 2011

Marilyn Davis is an Industrial Officer at Queensland Working Women s Service Inc. She is also a volunteer lawyer with Women s Legal Service of Queensland and a Management Committee member of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland. She has a long history of working in the area of equality for women, having been the first Equal Opportunities Officer for TAFE in Australia in 1983. Contact details Queensland Working Women s Service Inc. Email marilynd@qwws.org.au Phone- 617 32211144 ext 213

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Abstract This paper explores the women s decision making and dispute resolution roles in relation to gender based violence disputes and work including both formal and informal employment. In particular, it examines the challenge of blending traditional customary laws with newly introduced civil laws and the apparent progress so far. Despite the enabling legislation existing in both areas, there are still well entrenched values and beliefs that are not easily changed. The need for extensive education generally, and specifically in relation to the two areas discussed, is essential if women are to take some control in making decisions about their own lives in Timor Leste. With an estimated 50% of women affected by domestic violence, the recently enacted Domestic Violence Law will need the necessary infrastructure to back it up, including the education and training of police, court officials and health authorities. Similarly the Labour Code introduced in May 2002, is currently seen as enforcing women s rights in paid work through its provisions. However, most reports highlight the need for implementation of those rights.

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Women s Access to Their Rights and Entitlements

Women Participating in Decision Making and Dispute Resolution in Timor-Leste The Blending of Customary and Civil Laws- a Gigantic Challenge
Marilyn Davis

Introduction Why has the man got the power to decide on cases and the women do not? Because the man is brave and the woman is not. They do not know the lia fuan (words/law). They do not know how to speak. They cannot decide on ruling of cases because from our ancestors, it is men who resolve cases, women do not. hakotu la hola (don t decide) How did the man get the power to resolve cases? He has the power to tesi lia (cut words) because the man has been born with this ruling, the ruling about Adat . The man hold the ukun Adat (law), women hold the ukun Adat but it is only within the sphere of the house.1 This extract highlights one of the critical issues about women s decision making power in TimorLeste that this paper will examine. The purpose of the paper is to examine the current processes for dispute resolution in Timor-Leste and the specific impact of these processes on women. As an emerging democracy and one of the newest countries in the world, there is a mix of factors impacting on effective dispute resolution and women s in it. The scope of this paper must of necessity be limited. Women s work, both unpaid and paid, and gender based violence are the primary areas of focus when looking at dispute resolution. Other issues such as resolving land disputes generally and the resolution of issues associated with the reconciliatory process flowing from the crimes against humanity in the Indonesian occupation, are beyond the scope of the paper. Most developed countries now voluntarily or by obligation use a range of dispute resolution strategies prior to formal legal action. As Boulle2 says, most of these strategies were originally an ancient form of

Extract from International Rescue Committee, Traditional Justice and Gender Based Violence Research report Submitted by Aisling Swaine August 2003 2 L.Boulle, Mediation:Principles, Process, Practice Lexus Nexis Butterworths, Australia 2005

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dispute resolution which has been practised in many social, religious, economic and technological settings. Its rebirth in various developed countries in the 1970s and 1980s involves both a small degree of continuity and a large degree of discontinuity with these traditions.

In Timor-Leste the mixed system of law, traditional adat 3 and the more recently introduced civil law pose both current problems and potential solutions for the rights of women in dispute resolution. Interestingly, comparative studies of other societies including Australian Aboriginal groups, China, many other Asian societies such as Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Japan and Thailand and Middle East societies show that dispute resolution patterns have incorporated customary and traditional concepts in their current processes. The challenge in Timor-Leste is that statistical analysis suggests that the formerly accepted inequalities of the traditional adat system still largely dominate in matters of work and gender based violence. This is despite the acceptance of international conventions and national legislation which legislate for more equal outcomes for women. Questions such as why this is so, what is happening, and how to blend the two systems and the forces which currently work against this will be examined. The solution in both the short and long term is to establish steps which can lead to women having a significant role at all levels of dispute resolution both within the traditional system and within the newly adopted civil system. Of course changing values in any society is usually a lengthy process. Dispute resolution as we practise it in Australia includes primarily mediation, conciliation, and arbitration. Our newly passed Federal Civil Dispute Resolution Act 2011 now compels those wanting to litigate within federal legislation to take steps to resolve the matter before it becomes part of the formal legal process or cost penalties may apply. This is in addition to much state based legislation which has the same requirement. There is a great deal of difference between the models we use in Australia and those which develop as part of traditional customary law, and this is an area to be explored in some detail as it affects the lives of women in Timor-Leste. The Legal Framework - the first step to Women s Participation in Dispute Resolution Dennis Shoesmith 4 describes Timor-Leste s legal system as a hybrid one that combines Indonesian law, UN regulations, and a significant body of parliamentary legislation. Between 2002 and 2006, on average 11 laws a year were passed in Parliament and the Council of Ministers enacted over 80 decree laws. There is ample evidence that the enabling legal framework which has been established in TimorLeste since Independence in 2002 provides an excellent start to ensure women s participation at all levels of government.
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Adat is customary law as applied by the traditional justice system Denis Shoesmith Countries at the Crossroads

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That framework includes ratification of the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as well as other human rights treaties, an Office for the Promotion of Equality (OPE) under the Prime Minister and Ministerial Gender Focal Points. The new national Constitution, specifically Section 17 states Women and men have the same rights and obligations in raising families, and in the cultural, societal, economic and political areas 5(Translation from Tetum) In addition, some of the articles in the Penal Code regulate for the prohibition of discrimination. There is discussion by political leaders to have a specific law for discrimination.6 Within the paid workforce there is the Labour Code with sections 25 and 26 providing a Conciliation and Mediation Service 7 for women to bring their complaints in relation to the range of protections offered in the code. While the Labour Code offers protection for women for maternity leave, annual leave, and support for breastfeeding mothers, there has been very little implementation of these regulations as at April 2010.8 In addition, in 2000 East Timor s First National Women s Congress saw the setting up of women s network Rede Feto, which successfully lobbied for a quota of thirty per cent of seats in national Parliament for women. As at October 2010, 19 of the 65 members are women and women hold the three ministerial posts of justice, finance and social solidarity. 9 This legislative base, however, does not provide the power for decision making and dispute resolution that it might suggest. Leader of the National Unity Party, Fernanda Borges, says there is still a long way to go before women who are part of the quota have the parliamentary skills to fully utilise their positions. It is probably timely to compare the speed with which these legislative protections in Timor-Leste have come into play, with the long period of preparation women in Australia and in many other democracies had to develop the skills to use our legislative power, which for some of us seemed a very long time coming. In some areas such as equal pay, it continues to be a very long time coming. By contrast the traditional law in Timor-Leste has been in place for a very long time, probably well before the Portugese colonisation. The conservative Catholic influence, the low level of literacy for women, the impact of Indonesian occupation on women s education, the lack of Portugese or English or even Tetum language skills all have contributed to the fact that women have traditionally played very little part in dispute resolution. As early as 2004 there was a request for women to be trained as mediators to provide more equitable treatment under traditional law for the victims of domestic violence. 10 The challenge of Blending Traditional Law and Civil Law - Comparative Studies

The Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (RDTL) CEDAW Forty-fourth Session Responses to the list of issues and questions with regards to the consideration fo the initial periodic report- 20 July August 2009 7 Regulation No 20025 on the Establishment of a Labour Code. 8 Rede Feto Timor Leste Presentation in the Timor Leste Donors Meeting- April 2010 9 Peacewomen Timor-Leste: Rights East Timor: Women Learn the Political Ropes 10 Gender Assessment for USAID/Timor-Leste Country Strategy Plan FY 2004-2009
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Most traditional dispute resolution practices have a collective and not an individualistic focus as does the system developed in Australia. The traditional mediator is usually a wise elder representing the community and the processes tend to be ritualised, highly participatory with the goals of reconciliation and restoration of social harmony. Often, ritual payback, vengeance, vendettas, public apology and face-saving are part of the process. This traditional dispute resolution process provides the opportunity to tell one s story and become less angry. This form of dispute resolution was moulded by local culture and social norms. In contrast to Australian forms of mediation and conciliation which is based on individualism, traditional cultures are based on collectivism. In ours the focus is on individual achievements and enforcement of personal rights. In the traditional there is the focus on collective needs and interests so that social harmony can be restored. In Aboriginal culture, matters such as mediator or conciliator neutrality and confidentiality are not important. More important is the wisdom of the mediator and ensuring the result is known by all concerned in the issue, so that the community has models to follow. In collectivist cultures it is essential for those not in attendance to know of the processes and outcomes of community dispute resolution. 11 Hindu and Buddhist faith traditions also focus on community harmony as distinct from individual rights. Chinese mediation which is strongly incorporated and blended into modern dispute resolution practices, is based on the Confucian tenet that adversarial proceedings are the opposite of harmony and that individual needs must be subordinated to the group welfare. In Timor-Leste the position of customary law is spelt out in Article 2 (4) of the Constitution The State shall recognise and value the norms and customs of East Timor that are not contrary to the Constitution and to any legislation dealing specifically with customary law As Jeswynn Yogaratnam so precisely states while the constitution recognises customary law, uncertainty remains on the applicability or inapplicability of adat where the constitution and State legislation provides for laws that share a domain with the traditional justice system. 13

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Gender Based Violence Giving Women a Voice In 2008 only 34 % of Timorese believed that a man has no right to hit his wife . 50% of all criminal cases reported are domestic violence cases and only 7% of victims contacted police.14 The traditional process of adat in dealing with domestic violence has essentially left women out of the decision making process. Aisling Swaine, representing the International Rescue Committee,
Dr Allan Campbell- Working with Families powerpoint presentation. The Constitution of Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. 13 Jeswynn Yogaratnam A Review of the 2010 Domestic Violence Law in Timor Leste 14 Vijaya Nagarajan Women s Participation in Private Sector Development-Timor Leste
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reported on a study in the area of gender based violence in Timor Leste which was conducted over two years. The aim of the study was to gather information on how the local justice systems handle cases of gender based violence. It covered three districts of Ainaro, Cova Lima and Oecussi. She reports that women could be users of local justice, but could never participate as ultimate decision makers in the process. They could participate as a user or a victim. And even at that level they have no guarantee that justice or compensation will be the outcome. Their involvement is at a very superficial and cursory level. While women said they participated in local justice they said that they were always blamed. 15 One of the basic problems reported by the women for their poor treatment was the existence of the Barlaque (bride price) which goes to women s families and parents, but women are the ones who suffer. Violence within the home is excused as a means of educating a woman. The lack of education of both the women and the village sucos means that this tradition will continue until such time as there is an understanding and acceptance that it is a criminal offence under the civil law. The community leaders interviewed in this study saw local justice as controlling and disciplining the population. They did not believe that government law can reach to their level. What was also reported was that where the local law and government law came together there was much unrest and confusion. There was no formalisation of the relationship at this time and the users, primarily women, were being treated unjustly. Several Chefes du Suco felt that foreign law which was being implemented had no affinity with Timorese customary law. One woman, a victim of domestic violence stated, the first time after going to the Chief of Aldeia he (husband) did it again and I was upset and hurt. But when I went to the police I felt better as it stopped him from doing it again. It feels better to have the police and adat working together . When this report was prepared in 2003 culture was being used as an excuse to demean women s decision making abilities. Customary systems enforced this belief, particularly amongst rural women who have been socialised by a patriarchial system for many centuries. Given that three quarters of the population live in rural areas and women account for 49% of the total rural population, there was and still is a strong need for civil law reform in the area of domestic violence. And while human rights officers are promoting equality in regions across Timor, the lack of education of all parties promotes confusion. At this time the two systems of law were in conflict and many women would not access the police as it brought shame on the family and they needed the financial support of the husband to survive. They were also unfamiliar with the processes, and language barriers persist in the court system. Data collected in 2004 showed that 58% of Timorese disapproved of women speaking on their own behalf during the adat process. Progress has been slow, as in 2008 only 39% approved of women being able to speak in the process.

International Rescue Committee, Traditional Justice and Gender Based Violence Research report Submitted by Aisling Swaine August 2003

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Statistics vary but it is estimated that over 50% of all Timorese women have suffered some form of domestic violence. In order to give them some power in the resolution of this problem, the Government promulgated the Law Against Domestic Violence in July 2010. This signalled a shift from adat processes to a state criminal justice system. The challenge is now whether this law can reform the traditional justice system which had mostly continued to punish women for complaining. Community behaviour will need to change to make this successful. Jeswynn Yogaratnam suggests the legacies in post-colonial states of transitional laws, and the uncertainty of religious laws and the interaction of customary laws and new civil laws create challenges when moving towards equality. Specifically, in domestic violence cases the woman survivor does not get a chance to be heard or respond, the couple is made to reconcile without her hurt being acknowledged, the woman may be stigmatised in the community and there may be no effective deterrent. The new law is designed to empower both the victim and the local Chefs du Suc. The new law makes domestic violence a crime as part of the Penal Code. The new law mandates training and information sessions for the Chefes de Sucu and Chefes de Adelais. The process is designed not to replace or ignore local law but to blend it through education with the civil law. This action is supported by United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste and the United Nations Development Programme. Further legal assistance reflects the Government s intention of giving women a role in dispute resolution in this area. Several sources referred to the failure of domestic violence cases coming to trial despite the increase in cases reported to police. As already mentioned, language barriers is one reason, the fact that most legal actors are male and not always sympathetic to these matters is another. Time away from work and child care are other practical considerations which keep women out of court . In association with the new legislation, women will be advised on judicial proceedings, community groups will be trained to support survivors, the treatment by police and the courts will be monitored and the Women s Justice Unit will provide additional services. Other important stakeholders such as the police and hospital workers will also be trained to respond according to both the letter and the spirit of the law. For example, medical evidence will now be recorded, shelter houses suggested and reports written and submitted to relevant authorities. This is one area where women s participation in decision making will be improved markedly if the blending of the two systems of law are successful. If this model, well supported by ancilliary services, works, it can be used in other areas of law reform where integration is essential. AusAID reports on a group called the Association of Men Against Violence which is working to engage men in ending violence against women. It works at the community level, in 9 districts across East Timor to increase people s knowledge and to change men s behaviour. They are noted for their innovative guerrilla techniques creating mini awareness moments when opportunities arise. One example quoted was members having loud conversations at the cockfights about gender equality. AusAID provided $60,000 to support their work. 8|Page

Women s Role in Decision Making and Dispute Resolution at Work East Timor is one of the world s poorest nations, ranking 120 out of 169 in the United Nation s Development index. y y y y y 44% of East Timorese are malnourished and 41% live below the national poverty line of .88US per day. Half of the population are illiterate and only half of all women have been educated. 16 48% of the population is under 17 and there is 16% unemployment among the young. With up to 20,000 young East Timorese entering the job market every year, one of the most important challenges is to create jobs both in the formal and informal sectors. ILO reports that lack of productive skills and lack of remunerative employment opportunities are urgent issues. 17

The Timor-Leste Labour Force Survey 2010 reports that men in employment outnumber women in both urban and rural areas by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Half of the employed population has little or no education.18 With an estimated population of 1.047m, y y y y 70% of this population lives in rural areas. Here the employment rates for women are 88% compared to 82% for men. Many of the women are involved in micro businesses such as weaving, tailoring, saltmaking,bakeries, handicrafts, selling in markets and running kiosks.19 Most of these businesses are informal.

Women s rights in rural employment suffer the same fate as those who are victims of domestic violence. Customary Law , adat, plays the dominant role in the management of employment disputes. Once again despite Article 9 of the Constitution recognising equality, this is often overruled by customary law (article 2 (4)). To date this has not been tested in the courts. One of the major barriers posed to women s employment rights by customary law is the bride price, where the prospective husband s family pays a combination of animal, cash and gifts, giving the woman the status of property. The inheritance laws are predominantly on patrilineal lines where sons inherit. Disputes are settled often with the payment of compensation in the form of goods or livestock and this is usually paid to men. So women in rural areas rarely control any assets. Once again the enabling legislation to provide women with decision making and dispute resolution equality is in place. While there are strategies for implementation of these laws, little appears to have been achieved. Once again the problem lies with the lack of education and training and the necessary infrastructure to support the legislation in practice.
AusAID Report 15 July 2011 ILO report World of Work East Timor: A new Labour Code for the World s Newest Country. 18 Timor Leste Labour Force Survey 2010 19 Vigaya Nagarajan op cit.
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The Labour Code was introduced on May 1st 2002. With ILO assistance the code has been developed to bring together tripartite partners, the government, workers and employer s organizations. Problems emerged early however. It took over 12 months before three of the boards identified to run it came into existence. These were the Minimum Wages Board, the Labour Relations Board and the National Labour Board. Because there was initially no Registrar for Trade Unions, many of the unions formed prior to independence have continued to be active. The Department of Labour and Solidarity (DLS) had the responsibility to implement labour law and was also slow to begin its work. Various bodies for mediation and advocacy over labour issues were established including ComeAlright. The most common problems, according to the vice-chairperson of ComeAlright who also works as a volunteer conciliator, are unfair dismissal without adequate compensation, low wages and poor conditions. The Green Left Weekly reports that the industrial relations picture looks bleak as a result of high unemployment and government apathy in implementing the Labour Code. While this article20 does not report specifically on the industrial problems facing women Redo Fete does. Redo Fete states that the Labour Code is the only law which is sensitive to the needs of women in the workplace . Matters such as maternity leave, annual leave, support for breast feeding mothers are included in the regulations. Section 8.2.1 refers to Social Service Units for Women, Children, the Disabled and Elderly. Section 8.4 outlines the functions of the Division of Labour including Conciliation and Mediation and the prevention of disputes. Section 11.18 states that special measures may be taken by the Department to overcome discriminatory practices and perceptions that hinder equal opportunity and treatment in access to training, access to jobs and terms of conditions of employment. They shall be deemed to be non discriminatory. Section 35 outlines what we commonly refer to as adverse actions including termination for pregnancy, age or illness. Section 36 outlines due process to be used when terminating employees. Much of the content of these sections reads like Australia s Fair Work Act. The problem according to Redo Fete is that little has happened by way of implementation of the Code. Many women still have to resign rather than take maternity leave and sexual harassment exists in the workplace. One example of the problems is the case of Maria Angelina Sarmento Lopes who was the director of an NGO forum. She was prevented from continuing in her position by other board members even though she was on maternity leave. 21 With respect to remuneration, Redo Fete urges the government to adopt the ILO Convention 111 so that women start to receive fair pay. They also request that action be taken against private companies that do not comply with the Labour Code. It is claimed that women may find it harder to obtain employment because of the provisions in the Labour Code relating to pregnancy, breastfeeding and maternity leave. Because so many women are employed in the informal work sector these legislative rights have little application.22

Green Left Weekly July 23, 2003 Elizabeth de Araujo and Sandra Dann Women and Work in Timor-Leste Darwin 2010 22 Vijaya Nagarajan op cit
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Steps are being taken to encourage women to develop businesses in the private sector because currently only 16% of formalised businesses are owned by women. The immediate obstacles are many including the fact that men tend to control family assets, which means that women have difficulty getting access to capital. The processes of business ownership involve legal costs and the levels of corruption in bureaucratic areas make it difficult to establish a company. USAID Timor Leste recommends that women be trained as mediators so that the cultural and customary laws which currently produce bias against most industrial and other matters related to women can be dealt with. Another practical measures being taken to implement the legislative structures and give women more decision making power in disputes, is the programme being run to train women in politics. As in other areas, UNIFEM assists those women in Parliament and those wanting to get into Parliament in developing the skills necessary to make a difference to women s lives. Grupo das Mulheres Parlamentares de Timor-Leste (GMPTL) was formed to assist women politicians. With 29.2% of all politicans being women ( the highest in the South East Asian region), many of them need specific training to fully utilise their power. Now the parliamentarians need more training because many of the women, they just came from the field or from their families, so we need capacity for them to work on our mission .23 The parliamentarians have been trained on gender responsive budgeting (GRB), team building, and how to make laws. MP Fernanda Borges says that the issues are sometimes not about the numbers of women but the effectiveness of them. She says that because of lack of education, recent history and not having lived in a democracy before, that women need extra training to be effective as politicians. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is taking steps to ensure women s participation in local decision making in project developments in rural and remote areas. The programme led by Mana Dulce, is setting up pilot institutions such as local assemblies to increase the participation of community women in local decision making . Women now attend between 80% and 83% of all local assembly meetings in the country. It is still lower than men because of the lack of public transport, lack of time and household responsibilities.24 The establishment of the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) has also been set up with responsibility for gender mainstreaming in planning and programming of government policies.A Draft Civil Code has replaced the discriminatory Indonesian Civil Code which denied women freedom of movement away from husbands, directed men to manage women s assets and denied women access to court without the assistance of her husband. The new code however, uses the term he throughout, requiring that it be redrafted to bring it in line with the Constitution and CEDAW. As with the issue of gender based violence, the legal structures including the Labour Code and affirmative action do not have the power to transform a society where traditional law has created a
Peacewomen: Rights- East Timor Women Learn the Political Ropes October 5 2010 United Nations Development Programme -16 April 2010 Ensuring Women s Participation in Local decision making .
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culture which has for centuries treated women as property. It is very early days with respect to the effective implementation of labour laws to provide women with the power to make decisions about their lives, either through industrial avenues or through setting up their own businesses. Conclusion - the Gigantic Leap. Recently, rallies around Australia were held to highlight the inequalities regarding wages for women in the so called soft helping professions, which many of us here possibly work in. To provide some perspective on the problems facing women in East Timor, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade states proudly on its website25 that women in Australia were awarded equal pay for work of equal value in 1969 . Here we are in 2011 putting on our red tee-shirts to remind the Government that we still don t have equal pay 42 years later. Both the issues of gender based violence and women s rights at work highlight a number of challenges that Timor-Leste is facing, and may continue to face for some time, just as we in Australia have and still do. Legislation cannot change the culture of a country and this has been demonstrated in many countries, particularly those emerging from invasion and persecution. The American Government s intention to impose democracy in Iraq is a case in point. The infrastructure behind legislative change is critical if change is to happen in both the short and the long term. Matters such as poverty, lack of education (particularly as it has affected women in Timor Leste), the role of customary law in all matters and the need for training are just a few of the issues facing the Timor-Leste. In an address by H.E.President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao in Dili on 27th June 2003 he stated that In this difficult situation of adjustment, there is an impression that a gigantic leap is being imposed upon society, both in timing and in mentalities. 26 This seems to me to very accurately sum up the challenges that women, in particular, face in TimorLeste today.

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Campbell,Alan- Working with Families powerpoint presentation.www.frsa.org.au (2003) Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Forty-fourth Session Responses to the list of issues and questions with regards to the consideration fo the initial periodic report- (20 July August 2009) Convention of the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Office of the State Secretary For Promotion of Equality Material for Presentation to the Council of Ministers 2007 de Araujo ,Elizabeth and Dann, Sandra Women and Work in Timor-Leste Darwin 2010 Boulle L.- Mediation: Principles, Process, Practice Lexis Nexis Butterworths, Australia( 2005) Denby, Emma- The Rule of Law :Theoretical,Cultural and Legal Challenges for Timor-Leste Dec 2010 http://eastimorlawjournal.org/ARTICLES/2011/ Diamond, Nancy K Gender Assessment for USAID/Timor-Leste- Country Strategy Plan FY 2004-2009 Hackwill, Rachel - A Timor-Leste Perspective- Asia Pacific Human Development Network,Politico-Legal Equity. H.E.President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao - The International Conference on Traditional Conflict Resolution and Traditional Justice Address in Timor-Leste Dili 27 June 2003- East Timor Law Journal (pub May 2005) Australian Government - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Facts Women http://dfat.gov.au/facts/women.html ILO report World of Work No 43 East Timor: A new Labour Code for the World s Newest Country. http://ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/magazine/43/timor.htm Rapoza P, Bolieiro H, Salibekova R, Stompor J The Justice System of Timor-Leste,-An Independent Comprehensive Needs Assessment Team ( October 2009) Nagarajan , Vijaya Women s Participation in Private Sector Development-Timor Leste (2008) OECD Social Institutions and Gender Index Gender Equality and Social Institutions in Timor-Leste gender index.org/country/timorleste Peacewomen Timor-Leste: Rights East Timor: Women Learn the Political Ropes-October 5 2010 Rede Feto Timor Leste Presentation in the Timor Leste Donors Meeting- (April 2010) www.laohamutuk.org/ecom/10TLDPM/RedeFeto.pdf Shoesmith, Dennis . East Timor, in Countries at the Crossroads, Freedom House, New York.2010 Swaine, Aisling -, Traditional Justice and Gender Based Violence Research report International Rescue Committee. (August 2003) The Constitution of Democratic Republic of Timor Leste. 13 | P a g e

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Yogaratnam, Jeswynn A Review of the 2010 Domestic Violence Law in Timor Leste (March 23 2011)

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