Words into action: Empowering women through literacy in East Timor

Introduction Status of women Developing literacy Outcomes Introduction East Timor (Timor-Leste) gained independence in 2002 after more than 400 years of Portuguese colonial rule and 25 years of Indonesian occupation. The country faces many challenges as it establishes a new government, a functioning economy and a harmonious society. While it is making progress, there is still a fragile peace, weak public governance, great poverty, high unemployment, inadequate infrastructure and low food security. As one of the world's newest democratic nations, East Timor has had to simultaneously face all the challenges relating to the establishment of a new government, economy and society: building roads to remote areas, improving housing, water and sanitation, education and health services. David Haigh/AusAID East Timor is a multilingual country. There are 16 local languages spoken in the different regions. Tetum is the most commonly spoken language, and some people also speak Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia. After independence, Tetum and Portuguese were declared the official languages but many young people do not speak Portuguese as they have been educated in Bahasa Indonesia. Tetum developed as an oral language but is now being formalised as a written language. Status of women In traditional Timorese society, men usually dominate decision making and leadership roles in villages. Women usually look after children, maintain the household, collect the water and are responsible for the production and preparation of food for the family. Large families and small plots of drought affected land mean they spend many hours providing for their basic needs. Many women in rural areas have never attended school and, for those who have, it may have been only for a year or two. Many women have not been able to own land. The East Timorese government has a strong commitment to improving the rights of women. They have signed the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; legislated to ensure that 25% of members of parliament are women and that two seats on each suco, village-level council, are specifically for women; and enabled women to stand for any other position, including village chief. However, there continue to be challenges in providing equal rights to land; employment and investment opportunities for women; and increasing participation and access to the media and new communication technologies. Developing literacy Imagine not being able to read instructions on a medicine bottle, a public notice about what is happening in your community, or being unable to sign your name, write a letter or fill in a voting card. Illiteracy is a major issue with approximately half of East Timor’s population unable to read and write. The statistics are worse for women (64% illiterate) than men (49% illiterate). Money to pay for training teachers, building schools and printing books, particularly in the many different languages, is limited. Priority is given to the education of children so women miss out and are thereby excluded from participating in public life and decision making. The East Timor Young Women’s Association, Grupo Feto Foins'ae Timor Leste (GFFTL), supported by organisations such as International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA), is an organisation that was begun by volunteer women university students. GFFTL now has eight staff and, through the Women’s Literacy for Empowerment program, teaches two-hour literacy classes twice a week in rural villages sometimes only accessible by foot, using the language, stories and real life experiences of the local women. Village women develop their own learning materials in their local language to learn to read and write and overcome their disadvantage. Erin McKinnon/IWDA Learning to read and write is only the first step, says Rosa Xavier, a founder of GFFTL. ‘It is not enough that women learn basic literacy. They must also know how to use it, to make sure they are properly represented in the newly independent East Timor.’ Classes incorporate education about human rights, freedom from violence and reproductive health. The program is designed to give women the power to participate in life changing decisions both inside their homes and in the community. Village women experience new freedom through learning and talking together. Erin McKinnon/IWDA For many of the women, this is an opportunity to form valuable support networks, as it is one of the few times that they can come together in a safe space away from the challenges of daily living. From developing literacy, the program has expanded to include small business training and support to enable women to earn some small income to help feed and care for their families. Outcomes The Women’s Literacy for Empowerment program has provided rural women in East Timor with the confidence and ability to take a more active role in decision making at a family and community level. The women have reported that they are now able to read letters and reports their children bring home from school, sign their name on documents and help children with their homework. Source: International Women's Development Agency (IWDA)