Paulina Quintao – The participants of the fourth National Women's Congress identified nine priority issues for the government to work on.
President of Rede Feto Timor-Leste Ivete de Oliveira said some of the priorities were strengthening family values and preventing disharmony in families, divorce, abandonment and human trafficking.
Other priorities include tackling school dropouts amongst female students, climate change and the environment, strengthening the family economy, improving the conditions for workers and a increasing the involvement of women in the decentralization process.
She said the action platform would become part of the strategic plan of the women's movement from 2013 to 2017, and said it would be handed over to the government to implement through recommendations.
"Because our government has the power and policies to implement the action platform through the existing recommendations," said the Rede Feto President at the end of the fourth Women's National Congress at Delta Nova Hall.
According to her, civil society, as a partner for the government in the field, was ready to pass on the information and fill in the gaps for the government because the action platform is everyone's responsibility, not just the government.
The fourth National Women's Congress was held from August 12 to 14, with participants from different backgrounds and from all the 13 districts. The government and donors like HIVOS, the American Embassy and GIZ funded the congress with a total budget of $127,477.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Professional Training Policy and Employment Ilidio Ximenes da Costa congratulated the organizers of the congress and promised to hand over the recommendations to each ministry to empower women.
"We will consider the action platform and receive it to complete programs we have in each ministry and secretariat, to take action," he said.
The Secretary of State also encouraged the women's movement to advocate for vulnerable women and to take concrete action on the challenges they face.
At same place, the Baucau district delegate Francisca Monica said it was important for the government to pay attention to the nine issues, in order to improve women's lives. "I hope we achieve what we have put in the congress," she said.