Address Violence Against Women Through Empowement: The Case Study of Timor-Leste

Abstract

In recent years, violence against women (VAW) and women's empowerment have both stood at the forefront of feminist and development discourse on Timor-Leste, but little thought has been given to their incorporation into EVAW practice. This thesis explores how empowerment-oriented frameworks for the elimination of violence against women (EVAW) operate at local levels. It aims to better understand the question of empowerment as a strategy for addressing VAW between the global and the local, and draws on the work of some of the main actors in EVAW initiatives to understand the complex dynamics involved in translating 'universal' models of VAW practice into local contexts. This thesis is based on a two months preliminary visit to Timor-Leste, which was followed by a 20-day period of field research. During the field research phase, 27 interviews were conducted with research participants. Participant observations were also made during four full-day workshops and one full-day consultation. This thesis argues that current VAW discourse in Timor-Leste focuses predominantly on domestic violence (DV) and is framed in anti-DV terms, which distorts the way that women's empowerment is practiced in local level EVAW programs. The thesis argues for more synergetic thinking by actors, to provide opportunities for local initiatives to be integrated into larger movements, while avoiding the 'top-down', 'one-size-fits-all' approach typical of global VAW practice.