A representative of disabled women in Timor-Leste said disabled women were not involved in the celebrations for International Women's Day and National Women's Day, and described this as discrimination.

Mira Maya, a disabled woman from the disability organization Hadomi Timor Oan, says SEPI should include women with disabilities in National Women's Day celebrations.

Mira Maya, a disabled woman from the disability organization Hadomi Timor Oan, said she was concerned because she is a woman and while not able bodied, she also has the right to participate in days of celebration.

"Do we, the disabled, have rights like other women or not, because SEPI's program is held every year but why do they never involve us in that program?" asked Maya (22/05), in Kailkoli, Dili.

Therefore, she asked the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) from now on to involve disabled women in all activities to celebrate women's days.

Meanwhile, the Head of the SEPI Research Department Hermino Xavier recognized that so far they didn't involve disabled women in the activities they held. "But we have no intention to discriminate against them and we apologize and from now on we will put in a policy about disabled people," he said.