Fighting gender based violence
From victims to entrepreneurs
“Most victims struggle with issues of livelihoods and poverty. Many victims feel that they are unable to leave their abuser because they will not be able to provide for themselves and their children. This is especially true for less educated women with fewer prospects for earning an independent income.” (UNFPA, 2005).
ED provides training to women on livelihoods and micro-business set-up and management.
Our pioneer program brings innovative training & mentoring to over 200 women survivors of Gender Based Violence on livelihoods, foundational skills, and microbusiness set-up, helping them to build a better future for themselves and their family.
Let the numbers do the talk
38% OF WOMEN SUFFER PHYSICAL ABUSE
This represents 117,407 women over 15 years old and results largely from dependency and vulnerability (1) 2010 National Census
ECONOMIC FACTORS
50% of women report their decision not to pursue cases of gender based and domestic violence in court is influenced by economic factors (2) referred to the Victim Support Unit of the Justice System Monitoring Program in Timor-Leste
VIOLENCE IN SILENCE
Only one in five women who experience violence reach out for any type of help –over 89,000 women survivors of violence never report the abuse.
SPEAK OUT!
The few women that dare to speak out rely on family and traditional authorities. Only 5% seek the police or social services.
From shelters to communities
Violence against women in Timor-Leste is reported as commonplace, particularly in domestic relationships where it is viewed as inevitable, as described in the local saying “bikan ho kanuru baku malu” – (when eating) a dish and a spoon will hit each other.
But there was no support for victims of violence to find sustainable livelihoods, especially those who dared report the abuse. Women were leaving the safety of shelters empty-handed: outcast in their communities, with no savings and no skills to make a living, they often returned to the abusive situation or lived out of charity. For them, the cycle of violence and trauma did not truly end. Empreza Diak works with shelters providing training to women on livelihoods and micro-business set-up and management. We provide funding and equipment to support the economic empowerment of institutionalized women and mentoring in their return to the community.
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Futuru Diak: an innovative approach for better futures
Fighting gender based violence
From victims to entrepreneurs
Turning traditions into livelihoods
Reviving traditions for better futures
