Dili – The secretary general of the Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste (FRETILIN), Mari Alkatiri, will host a fundraising party this Friday to raise fund to help organizations to combat domestic violence in the country.

"Women continue to be unprotected by their husbands, by their parents, both women and children," Mari Alkatiri, who turns 62 on Friday, told Lusa.

For Mari Alkatari, the fight against domestic violence has been "in formal terms" already a part of the policy framework of the state of Timor-Leste, but the law criminalising it has not been implemented in full.

The Secretary-General of FRETILIN said there are associations of private initiative that have sought to support children, adolescents and women who have been the victims of rape and violence.

"It is with pleasure that I do this," he said, noting that it is to help the fight against domestic violence in all its forms and the only goal is to protect those people who are victims of it.

Mari Alkatiri also stressed that the "issue of domestic violence is a vital issue for us."

"In addressing the respect for human rights we must start at home. If there is no respect at home, it will not then not be able to foster this respect in our society generally," he said.