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Posted to East Timor
list on 21 July 2006 by APSC <apsc@octa4.net.au> : http://etan.org/resource/etlist.htm
See ETAN Menu - Current Crisis in
East Timor (2006): http://www.etan.org/et2006/may/crisis.htm
Subject: Letter to Ian Martin from Rede Feto (Women's Network) Timor
Leste
REDE
FETO TIMOR-LESTE
To Mr Ian Martin
Special Envoy of the Secretary
General of the UN for Timor-Leste
Dear Mr Martin
The Rede Feto of Timor Leste, a
network composed of 17 women’s organizations working on women’s rights
and gender issues, want to express our gratitude to you for taking the
time to meet with us on 4 July. Further to the issues raised during the
consultation we wish to submit further recommendations in relation to
the establishment of the new post-UNOTIL mission.
Political/Good
Offices
* To involve women in disarmament.
Women officers in the police and the FDTL should be involved in the
efforts to disarm civilians.
* The Commission of Inquiry for Timor
Leste to consult with Rede Feto to provide information on the recent
incidents of violence.
* To sensitize women to participate
and support the campaign for the disarmament of civilians in their
capacity as mothers, wives and daughters to promote peace.
* Include women in all peace building efforts and fully implement SC
1325.
Elections
* To facilitate a review of the draft
electoral law to include an affirmative action clause with a provision
of minimum 30% target for women’s inclusion in winnable positions
political party lists and to guarantee women’s participation as
independent candidates.
* Ensure that women candidates have
access to means of communication including electronic, radio and
television.
* Ensure a National Electoral
Commission.
* Develop a gender strategy for the
electoral process.
PNTL Reform
* Establish recruitment criteria and
equal benefit package for female and male officers.
* Ensure recruitment of police who
have a good background and terminate those who have been involved in
crimes.
* Increase the percentage of women in
decision making positions within PNTL through targeted promotion
programs.
* Guarantee that VPU (Vulnerable
Persons Unit) is well resourced and staffed, and ensure continuity of
staff.
Peacekeeping Forces
* Enforce the UN’s policy to prevent
sexual exploitation and abuse with clear information on reporting
mechanisms.
* Investigate past allegations of
sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel and bring perpetrators to
justice.
* Include women in the uniformed and
civilian personnel.
Reform of FDTL
* Consult women’s groups in the
reform of the FDTL, including its mission and objectives.
* Increase the percentage of women in
decision making positions within FDTL through targeted promotion
programs.
* Implement a program to address the
specific needs of each veteran group such as women former combatants
and youth involved in the recent conflict.
Human Rights/Rule
of Law/Serious Crimes
* Review immunity of members of
parliament and government and disseminate information on how it should
be applied.
* Bring to justice perpetrators of
women’s rights violations that occurred in 1999 and women’s rights
abuses that occurred in the recent situation.
* A separate annual fund should be
allotted to the judiciary which they could access without the
bureaucratic systems. This will avoid any intervention by the ruling
officials who will cause delay of release of funds.
* All legal documents including the
penal code, the legislations and procedures should be written in Tetun
since 90% of Timorese speak and understand Tetun. It is the preferred
language of the people.
* Court deliberations should also be
done in Tetun so the involved parties can understand what was being
discussed and decided upon.
* Improve court proceedings to ensure
expedition of hearings and prevent delayed justice and further hardship
to victims.
Governance/Institutional
Development
* Implement the recruitment,
promotion and compensation system being developed by the Minister of
Planning and Finance that ensures equal opportunity to both men and
women.
* The labor law should include
provision to address nepotism in public and private offices.
* Graft and corruption should be
governed by laws and under the penal code to ensure protection of women
who want to establish their businesses and/or source of livelihood.
Gender Dimensions
* All the government officials
including the ministers should have an orientation program on gender.
* The Office for the Promotion of
Equality and Human Rights should become part of the Council of
Ministries.
* At the ministry program level
recruitment of women as part of the workforce in the districts is a
must, e.g. health workers and staff.
* Establish a separate office for
village health workers under the Ministry of Health and encourage
participation of women.
We also want to take this opportunity
to ask you to kindly use your good office to convey our remarks on
women’s participation in decision making.
Hoping our efforts will be fruitful and considered. Thank you.
Very truly yours,
UBALDA ALVES
Executive Director Rede Feto
July 7 2006
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