TIMOR-LESTE: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DILI 000043 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KWMN PREL PHUM AID CDC COM TSRY TT SUBJECT: TIMOR-LESTE: S/GWI PROJECT PROPOSALS REF: STATE 132094 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Embassy Dili submits the following two proposals for consideration for the 2010 Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI) small grants initiative. Our first choice is the Caukus Feto Iha Politika (Women's Political Caucus),an organization founded to promote women's participation in politics and the decision-making process, and to empower women's leadership development. This is the only organization in Timor-Leste seeking to assist women to be an active part of the new democratic government of Timor-Leste. We also recommend Timor Women's Self Help Group (TWSHG) project in Timorese Women's Woven Art. This project is focused on reducing poverty by enabling women to utilize their existing skills and resources to generate income and provide for their families. If S/GWI awards grants to these organizations, they will be managed by Political/Economic Officer Christopher Crawford, CrawfordCA@state.gov. Both projects directly relate to mission priorities (i.e., strengthening democracy and promoting economic growth) and will be closely coordinated with the activities of our ongoing USAID projects and other international donors in the relevant sectors. End Summary. CAUKUS FETO IHA POLITIKA - WOMENS POLITICAL CAUCUS -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) This project seeks to strengthen women's leadership skills, as well as to expand civic and voter education as Timor-Leste moves to create new regional municipalities beginning in 2010 and prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections in 2012. Since achieving independence in 2002, Timor-Leste has established a democratic state and sought to promote gender equality. The 2006 electoral law requires that at least one of every four candidates fielded by a political party be a woman. Currently 19 of the 65 members of the national parliament are women. The participation of women in the first two legislative elections, however, has been low. This has been exacerbated by the fact that little voter education has been conducted on gender issues and Timorese women candidates continue to lack confidence, adequate education, advanced leadership skills, and political party support. ¶3. (U) The proposed project will conduct transformative leadership training and civic education for women at the national and local levels of government throughout Timor-Leste. The project will fund lobbying and advocacy for women's issues. The project will also fund a comparative study with neighboring Indonesia to determine what positive and negative lessons Timorese women can learn from their neighbor's example. The project will conclude with an independent evaluation to review lessons learned and recommend changes for the future. ¶4. (U) The project seeks to promote gender-based equity in politics and decision-making. It aims to enhance women's participation in the decision-making and policy-making process at all levels and to promote actions to increase women's capacity to participate fully in politics and assume leadership positions. The project seeks to achieve an increase in women's political participation and help nurture competent, effective and committed women politicians. The project will help build linkages between the national and local levels to widen women's influence and effectiveness as well as facilitate the implementation of the women's agenda. The project will increase awareness of political parties in supporting women candidates for their internal power structures. Finally, the project will increase the influence of the parliamentary women's group to raise the profile of gender issues in the policy process. As a result of this project, women's participation in the 2012 elections should increase and women will be more women involved in politics at every level of government. ¶5. (U) The project duration is 18 months, and the requested budget is USD 100,000. The funding will be used as follows: transformative leadership training, USD 25,000; civic education and socialisation, USD 10,000; comparative study of women in politics in Indonesia, USD 10,000; advocacy with media and lobbying, USD 10,000; project monitoring, USD 5,000; project-end independent evaluation, USD 15,000; and project administration cost, USD 25,000. ¶6. (U) KPDP-TL (Kaukus Perempuan Dalam Politik - Timor Leste) was formed in 2001 to promote and consolidate democracy by ensuring and realizing equal rights and gender parity in political participation and in the structure of government. Over the past 9 years the women's caucus has conducted numerous activities in developing capacity, pursuing advocacy, and mobilizing women, including within parliament. KPDP-TL has conducted civic education training sessions addressed to women's organizations, village community leaders, and women at the rural, district and national levels. KPDP-TL has established a parliamentary watch group to monitor both the inner workings of the parliamentary system and the performance of women parliamentarians in order to assist and urge them to draft DILI 00000043 002 OF 002 legislation. Finally, KPDP-TL has produced media bulletins to publicize women's activities and has conducted campaigns for the participation of women in politics and as decision-makers. The Women's Caucus is committed to strengthening the involvement of women in the democratic process. Its members include prominent women activists from a network of human rights and democracy NGOs. ¶7. (SBU) Embassy Comment: Based on our contact and experience with the Women's Caucus, post believes that this organization has the necessary capacity to implement the proposed project. Timor-Leste suffers from a chronic lack of professional capacity throughout government and civil society. Nonetheless, the Women's Caucus includes several capable leaders who have demonstrated that they have the necessary experience and contacts to successfully implement a project of this scale and complexity. Post recognizes that this proposal summary lacks some necessary details regarding the specific proposed activities. Upon request from S/GWI, we will ask the Women's Caucus to provide additional information. TIMOR WOMEN'S SELF HELP GROUP -------------- ¶8. (U) This second project seeks to alleviate the endemic poverty and desperation of rural and illiterate Timorese women and families by utilizing their existing skills and resources. The project will build confidence and skills through training and practical assistance to produce quality goods for sale using `Tais' - a traditional Timorese cloth that has been made by weaving on simple back strap looms for centuries. This will assist remote and illiterate women to capitalize on the opportunity that now exists to reach local markets and generate sales and income for the women and their communities. The women's new purchasing power should create a ripple effect so that other small businesses can also benefit. ¶9. (U) The project will build skills in management, marketing and administration at grass root levels ensuring manufacturing quality, consistency, and timeliness for orders. It will also provide continued training and assistance via a Dili-based training, marketing and administration center that will assist with new product ideas and techniques. Finally, the project will establish and maintain overseas markets for Timorese women's products WON with a reputation for reliable quality and beauty, ready supply, and competitive prices. Products sold on these merits will provide long-term sustainable employment as opposed to "sympathy buys" which are not sustainable or proactive in creating new jobs. ¶10. (U) The project duration is 12 months and the requested budget is USD 91,892. The funding will be used as follows: Premises & Equipment, USD 5,512; Services, USD 3,000; Training and Marketing, USD 57,540; Professional Services USD 5,500; Transport in-country, USD 5,000; Consumables, USD 2,400; Buildings and Maintenance USD 6,220; Production Materials for training, USD 5,520; and packing for products, USD 1,200. ¶11. (U) The training programs can commence within 2 weeks of receipt of funds. Experienced Timorese staff and trainers are already known and available. The organization will work with local NGOs interested in women and children's welfare to identify those who will benefit from training. TWSHG will link with micro-finance entities who may assist trained women to start up small businesses or collectives in their own areas. Trained accounts staff will advise on simple bookkeeping and how to set their "profit margins" if they wish to conduct a small business. TWSHG envisages a minimum of 10 women at any one time will be trained by experienced trainers who will conduct different training activities based on desire, need, potential skill level, and the availability of raw material. Example products include those utilizing TAIS (traditional cloth),bata kulit (corn ear/leaves),and also recycled paper and paper mache (e.g., paper and cards that can be decorated with TAIS or bata kulit decorations). All of these can be sent to the Dili market. ¶12. (SBU) Embassy Comment: Based on USAID's experience with TWSHG, Post believes that this NGO has the capacity and the ability to implement the project described above. Post also believes that the proposal has the potential to have a positive impact on the lives of rural women. The raw materials for the products are readily available and the traditional weaving skills have not been lost. What rural women lack, however, is a sense of what products would be marketable in the cities or abroad, how to market them, how to connect with buyers, and how to manage a business. All of these skills, of course are easily transferrable, thus lending much-needed sustainability to the project and potentially stimulating local rural economies. Again, Post recognizes that this proposal summary lacks some necessary details regarding the specific proposed activities. Upon request from S/GWI, we will ask TWSHG to provide additional information. KLEMM