Women’s Political Participation in Timor-Leste: Challenges and Prospects

1. Women’s Political Participation in Timor-Leste: Challenges and Prospects By Laura SoaresAbrantes APSC-TL, Member of RedeFeto Timor-Leste

2. Order of presentation: • Legal framework • Progress in enforcing the gender quota system • Role of civil society (focus RedeFeto) • Challenges and Prospects • Recommendations for Partnerships

3. Timor-Leste Total Population: 1,066,498 Female 522,211 Male 544,198

4. Rede Feto Timor-Leste (24 members, all 13 districts) St. Bahkita OMT FMH FHAM UNFETIP AMST PAS ISMAIK JURISTAS ET-WAVE SagradaFamilia FPSH Alola Foundation Fokupers Caucus APSCTL FKSH OPMT FEEO FHF FMF Pradet Hafoti GFFTL

5. Legal Framework Timor -Leste Constitution • Article 16: Universality and Equality • Article 17: Equality between men and women • Article 46: Rights to partisipate in politic • Article 47: Rights suffrage • Article 63: Partisipation in politic citizenship

6. Legal Framework CEDAW (ratified in 2003), UDHR, SCR 1325. Electoral law National Parliament Election Law -No.6/2006 - No.7/2011 Suco (village) Election Law Municipality Law

7. Gender Quota System

8. Draft Electoral Municipality Law, article 11: paragraph 3: The candidate lists, effectives and substitutes, for Municipality parliamentary should include in a group of 3 candidates at least one female.

9. Decree Law Pre-Deconsentration Organic Statute Pre-DeconcentrationAdminis-trative: article 13: Nomination Process, paragraph 3: THE CANDIDATE LIST SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE FEMALE IN A GROUP OF 3 CANDIDATES FOR THE NOMINATION OF DISTRICT MANAGER.

10. Progress made in the Implementation of the Gender Quota System

11. Percentage of women candidates in 2012 Presidential Election

12. Total votes for women candidates in 2012 Presidential Election

13. % of women-led vs. men-led political parties

14. Comparative Election Results (prior to Gender Quota and to 2012, Parliament) 27% 38% 25.20%

15. Total Candidates (Women & Men) for Parliament Election 2012 :

16. % Women Candidates Compared with % Men Candidates:

17. Suco data: The Result of Council Village Election 2004-2005 & 2009

18. Representation of Women in Elected and in Government Positions

19. National Parliament:Women representation compared with Men

20. NATIONAL PARLIAMENT (NP): • Total Members NP : 65 persons • Women: 25; Man: 40; • Composition of National Parliament Table: -President (male) -2 Vice Presidents (male) - 1 Secretary and 2 Vice Secretaries (3 female)

21. The Role of Civil Society (RedeFeto Timor-Leste Women’s Network)

22. Programs, Projects and Activities that facilitated the Increase of Women’s Participation in the Election 2012 Pre Election • Advocacy for amendment the Electoral Law • Dialogue with political parties • Trainings on transformative leadership and public speaking for women in political parties • Conferences and Workshops • Public debates through the media (district and national)

23. Programs, Projects and Activities that facilitated the Increase of Women’s Participation in the Election 2012 Election period: • Civic education • Voter education and motivating women to go out and vote • Campaign for women candidates • Capacity-building for Polling staff • March for peace • Together with the international community women served as observers of the election processes

24. Post Election: • Dissemination of election results • Strengthen women knowledge and capacity in their role as legislators • Action plan for the coming elections: (municipal 2014; village 2015; general election 2017)

25. GOVERNMENT • Total Government Positions (top): 55 Man=45 Women=10: - 2 female ministers - 4 vice female ministers - 4 female Secretaries of State

26. % Women in Government compared to Men:

27. Challenges • Patriarchal system is still very strong and pervasive especially in far-flung communities; • Formal & traditional systems place limits on women’s full participation • Mindset that women cannot do the job (true to both women and men)

28. Challenges • Low level of education among the majority of Timorese women narrows down our options in choosing candidates; • Political parties comply with the gender quota but place women in the third slot which prevents women from taking seats in the parliament in cases when political parties acquire limited percentage of votes (3%=1 seat);

29. FACTS AND EVIDENCE THAT SHOW GENDER DISCRIMINATION IN ACTUAL ADMINISTRATION LOCAL GOVERNMENT. Source: NOG Pátria. September– October 2013.

30. 13 Districts Administrators are Male dominated

31. 12 Male Deputy Administrator, 1 Female.

32. 63 Male Sub-districts Administrators, 2 Female

33. 11 Male Directors SAIM (Secretariado de Apoio ao Instalação de Municipio), 2 Female

34. 431 Male Suco Chefs, 11 Female

35. NEXT STEPS FORWARD/PROSPECTS In preparation for the municipal (2014), village (2015), and General Election (2017): more concerted and systematic effort by government and civil society programmatic leadership formation for target women candidates; aggressive advocacy to political parties to enlist women in higher slots in the candidates list base on merit;

36. NEXT STEPS FORWARD/PROSPECTS Widen scope for voters education and motivating women to go out and vote; Continue with programs and projects that aim to promote gender equality and transform patriarchal system; Advocate for increased women’s participation in education to improve capacity to run for elective positions in the long-term;

37. Continue Strong Advocacy at Local Government • Approach with 13 local government; • Approach and seek for the information access from 13 SAIM (Secretariado de ApóioaoInstalação de Municipio); • Mobilize resources to include the candidate list for potential women for district Manager from 65 sub-districts; • Up-date regular information to women in 13 districts; • Identify and empowering women to compute for the structure of pre – deconsentration administrative in 65 sub-districts. The time is limited because the structure of pre-deconsentration will start be in force in: 1/1/2014.

38. 2. REALITY !!! 1. Depends on the national mobilization; 2. Still lack of interest to seek information in SAIM / district/local administration; 3. Lack of effort to participate in the forum discussion on decentralization at district & national level. (depends on total official invitation); 4. Women themselves – their interest / priority / preference; 5. Lack of attention from GTGN + SEPI FP + GTGD!!!

39. There are some efforts have been doing by the partners during 2013, to empowering women’s participation in the process of decentralization. Women´s group discussion during public consultation in 10 districts (Patria 10); (SEPI, Caucus, APSCTL, UNWOMEN 5)

40. NGO Pátria had been conducted program ‘Strength Women’s Participation in Decentralization Process & also in Development Local Agenda in 13 districts (September & October 2013).

41. NGO Pátria with UNWOMEN conducted a National workshop, then advocate to the National Parliament

42. The establishment of working group for gender perspective analyzing of the DAPL policy draft.

43. NEED ALIIED TO BE UNITED TO CONDUCT EMPOWERING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN IN 13 DISTRICTS TO STRENGHTEN WOMEN’S ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.

44. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARTNERSHIP - Research work to strengthen advocacy work/database of researches conducted in Timor Leste - Capacity building - Exchange program Information Exchange

45. NGO Feto (Caucus, together with all members of RedeFeto), NGO Pátria need to conduct training program for empowering women to get strong ability and could contributed in local development. • Council Ministers, • SEDA, • SEPI, • Ministry Estatal, • President Gender working group in 13 Districts.

46. Obrigada barak! Kmanek wain basu! Thank you!