VZCZCXRO9192
PP RUEHDT
DE RUEHDT #0043/01 0530658
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P R 220658Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY DILI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4715
INFO RUEHDT/AMEMBASSY DILI 4286

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