Paulina Quintao – According to data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) 2016, 18% of heads of family of the 204,000 families surveyed are women.

Director of the Young Women's Movement (MOFFE) organization, Yasinta Lujina, said this demonstrates the important role of women from family level to the public level that needs greater recognition.

She said it is not easy for women to be at the head of a family but women will always do their best to ensure their family is looked after and had dignity.

She added that many women had to assume the role of head of family because their husbands died, or abandoned them or some are just irresponsible.

He added in these circumstances, the government and other women need to support them to empower them to escape vulnerability and to live a dignified life.

"We need to support them, to capacitate them on how to run business with small funds according to their ability and resources they have," she said from her office in Dili.

She informed that in 2017 MOFFE worked alongside the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MSS) to capacitate widows and single women in two municipalities, Covalima and Bobonaro, and in the Special Administrative Region of Oecusse-Ambeno (RAEOA) on business management.

MOFFE chose these municipalities closer to the border because often families are at great risk of human traffic and of engaging in prostitution activity that will damage their future.

She said they were able to establish 17 groups of 10 members each to carry on small business and the majority are now able to generate enough income for their daily lives.

Meanwhile former MSS Minister Maria Domingas Alves said the previous government created the Mothers Purse (bolsa da mae) Program, to support widows and single mothers, especially with support of schooling for their children as the key criteria for these families including for orphans and people living with disability.

She added the State has the obligation to ensure the wellbeing and dignity of every citizen especially those most vulnerable in society.

"Dignified wellbeing for every citizen, especially those most vulnerable are entitled to a subsidy from the State," she said.

She said subsidies are small with each child getting $5 per month and can only access it every six months.

She said also that currently many parties are talking about this program in their campaigning, and she hopes they will be able to raise the subsidies for women to a reasonable amount that truly supports them.

Source: http://www.thediliweekly.com/en/news/15472-almost-20-of-heads-of-family-are-women-in-tl