UN, KOICA, Commit $7.7 million To End Gender-Based Violence

Four United Nations agencies and the Korea International Cooperation Agency are adding to the growing movement against gender-based violence

Dili, 23/11/2020 – Four UN agencies: UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and IOM will collaborate in a four-year project to enhance efforts to ensure that all women and girls in Timor-Leste can enjoy their right to live free from gender-based violence, and access quality essential services. The project has been made possible by $7.7 million in funding from the Government of Korea, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and United Nations.

Titled “Together for Equality: Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence in Timor-Leste”, the project supports Timor-Leste’s implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender-Based Violence, led by the State Secretary for Equality and Inclusion (SEII).

The partnership will collaborate with the State Secretary for Equality and Inclusion (SEII), key line ministries and civil society organizations working to preventing gender-based violence, provide support to key health and justice services, strengthen monitoring and reporting on violence in public and private spaces, and address GBV in the context of disaster risk reduction.

The project will reach approximately 200,000 direct beneficiaries in three municipalities (Dili, Baucau, Covalima) and the special administrative region of Oecusse (RAEOA), complementing other initiatives to provide anti-GBV support to Timorese in all municipalities.

“It is great to sign the arrangement with UN agencies to tackle gender-based violence in Timor-Leste in commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Violence is never justified, and I expect that 'Together for Equality' will help reduce GBV and empower both men and women to advocate for gender equality,” said Mr. Sikhyon Kim, Country Director of KOICA Timor-Leste.

In Timor-Leste, KOICA has been partnering with the UN through several projects to support national development priorities. This project derives from KOICA support to countries to reach their targets on SDG 5 - gender equality.

State Secretary for Equality and Inclusion, H.E. Maria José da Fonseca Monteiro de Jesus said, “Violence against women and girls is still one of the biggest problems in Timor-Leste, and ending violence is not easy anywhere in the world. Different government institutions together with many partners have good collaborative efforts, but we still witness and hear many cases around the country. The additional support from the Government of Korea through KOICA will provide great support to the efforts of Timor-Leste’s government to end GBV and promote gender mainstreaming with line ministries to ensure that state budgets are gender-responsive.”

The project will focus on preventative measures against gender-based violence. It will reach individuals (including young people and groups facing discrimination), and support families and communities to be agents of change against sexual harassment and other forms of GBV.

The project will support key government institutions to expand their reach and improve the quality of essential support services, to reach more survivors of violence and encourage others to seek support. It will contribute to stronger monitoring and accountability to convert policy commitments into action while working with civil society and the media to reach the wider public.

“Together for Equality brings together the expertise and roles of the Timor-Leste Government institutions, the four UN agencies (UN Women, UNDP, UNFPA and IOM) and KOICA. It builds on our collective strengths as partners to address the connected issues of domestic violence in the family, sexual harassment and violence in public spaces as well as GBV in the context of disasters,” said Sunita Caminha, UN Women Head of Office, on behalf of the four collaborating UN agencies.