Impacts of Gender Programming in Timor-Leste

In this project, RMIT’s Timor-Leste Research Program worked with four East Timorese NGO partners to research and evaluate the impacts of the NGOs' gender-focused projects in local communities.

Grants and funding: Irish Aid and Trocaire, Timor-Leste

Impacts of National NGO Gender Projects in Local Communities in Timor-Leste: 
A collaborative research and evaluation project

Timeframe:          June 2009-July 2010
Project Manager:  Anna Trembath
Researchers:       Anna Trembath (RMIT)
                           Carmenesa Moniz Noronha (RMIT)
                           Dr Damian Grenfell (RMIT)
                           Mayra Walsh (RMIT)
                           Filomena Fuca (GFFTL)
                           Aida Exposto (FKSH)
                           Ambrosio Dias Fernandes (FKSH)
                           Elda Barros (Alola)
                           Maria Fatima Pereira Guterres (Alola)
                           Fransisca da Silva (Women's Justice Unit, JSMP)
                           Mario Duarte Soriano (Women's Justice Unit, JSMP)
NGO Partners:     Grupo Feto Foinsa'e Timor Lorosa'e (GFFTL) 
                           Feto iha K'biit Servisu Hamutuk (FKSH) 
                           Fundasaun Alola
                           Women's Justice Unit, Judicial System Monitoring Programme                            (JSMP)
Funding:              Irish Aid and Trocaire in Timor-Leste
Publications:        Report in English and Tetun

This project involves RMIT University's Timor-Leste Research Program working with four East Timorese NGO partners (listed above) in order to collaboratively research and evaluate the impacts of the NGOs' gender-focused projects in local communities. Two staff from each organisation participate as co-researchers. Each NGO has selected one project to evaluate and one locale in which to conduct fieldwork (sub-district Venilale, sub-district Ermera, sub-district Atauro and sub-district Manatuto). 

The RMIT team is delivering comprehensive, ongoing training and accompanying the NGO staff throughout the entire process so as to develop capacity in gender-sensitive research and evaluation. The projects runs entirely in Tetun. 

We use an array of research methods, including a Gender Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Questionnaire, Location Mapping, Social Relationship Mapping, Timelines, Participatory Indicators, 'Most Significant Change' Interviews, Focus Group Discussions, Observation and Photodocumentation. 

Update December 2009: The team has completed the first two phases of the project (Phase One: Project Preparation and Introduction to Gender-Sensitive Research and Evaluation, and Phase Two: Data Collection, Consolidation and Entry). We have now entered the third phase of the project, Data Analysis and Production of Final Written Results. The NGO teams together with RMIT are workshopping data analysis and beginning to write up results. We anticipate that the project report (both Tetun and English versions) will be released by July 2010.
 

Mapping the Pursuit of Gender Equality: Non-Government and International Agency Activity in Timor-Leste

Timeframe:        October 2006 - July 2007
Researchers:     Anna Trembath and Dr Damian Grenfell
Partners:           The Office for the Promotion of Equality, Prime Minister's Office,                          Timor-Leste (now named the Secretariat of State for the                          Promotion of Equality) 
Funding:            Irish Aid Timor-Leste and the Globalism Research Centre and                          Global Cities Institute, RMIT University. 
Publications:      Final project report in English and Tetun (August 2007) 

Two staff from each organisation participated as co-researchers. Each NGO has selected one project to evaluate and one locale in which to conduct fieldwork (sub-district Venilale, sub-district Ermera, sub-district Atauro and sub-district Manatuto).

The RMIT team is delivering comprehensive, ongoing training and accompanying the NGO staff throughout the entire process so as to develop capacity in gender-sensitive research and evaluation. The projects runs entirely in Tetun.

Key people

Project team: Anna Trembath, Carmenesa Moniz Noronha, Damian Grenfell and Mayra Walsh (RMIT University), Filomena Fuca (GFFTL), Aida Exposto and Ambrosio Dias Fernandes (FKSH), Elda Barros and Maria Fatima Pereira Guterres (Alola), Fransisca da Silva and Mario Duarte Soriano (Women's Justice Unit, JSMP)

Download the final report here.