The following Blog was written by Suze van Meegen who is currently in Dili, East Timor working with Fundasaun Alola. Suze will be writing regular blogs through Gender Equality Online.

In spite of the initial celebrations, no-one I've met in Timor-Leste is mopping their brow, kicking back and letting the new nation's long-awaited Law Against Domestic Violence take care of business. The law is an immense achievement and a credit to the men and women who campaigned for 8 long years to conciliate opponents - the Catholic Church chief among them - and laboriously champion a law that clearly defines domestic violence as a public crime and mandates support services. So now begins the task of implementation.

There is no comprehensive data on gender-based violence in Timor-Leste. 400 cases were reported in 2008 according to United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), but a 2005 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) provides contextual information to suggest that the prevalence of gender-based violence is far greater than this number indicates. In their 2005 report Gender-Based Violence in Timor-Leste, UNFPA identify the following factors as specific to Timor-Leste :

• Patriarchal organisation of Timorese society;
• Cultural beliefs and practices - such as the bride price (barlaki), and traditional systems of law (adat);
• Infidelity and polygamy;
• Problematic behaviour, such as alcohol abuse, gambling and betting on cockfights;
• Infertility (for example, if a woman and a man are unable to conceive a child together, the woman is almost always blamed and may suffer abuse, abandonment or the infidelity of her male partner as a result);
• Family involvement in marriages, including family pressure not to take issues of abuse outside the family;
• The role of the Catholic Church, which emphasises the need to keep families together;
• The recent history and culture of violence within the society, primarily a result of occupation and colonialism;
• Tolerance of male violence;
• The high value placed on the chastity of women; and
• Public opinion that domestic violence and sexual assault are normal parts of life.

Even with the shiny new law, one could be forgiven for thinking it's a fairly unpropitious outlook. But then – and I'm trying to avoid cliches here – Timor takes on challenges pretty well. Advocacy by Timorese women resulted in the establishment in 2001 of the Office for the Promotion of Equality, sitting within the Prime Minister's Office. This followed the March 2000 establishment of Rede Feto Timor Lorosa'e, a national organisation concerned with promoting a 'rights based approach to development', and coordinating the 16 Timorese organisations working on women's issues. Chief mmong these are PRADET Timor Lorosa'e which has operated since 2001 under a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Health to deliver psychosocial support services; FOKUPERS, established in 1997 to provide support to women widowed or whose husband's were victimised during the Indonesian Occupation, and whose mandate has extended dramatically since; and Fundasaun Alola, established in 2001 by then First Lady, Kirsty Sword Gusmao, to raise awareness about sexual violence and advocate for women's rights, and now delivering education, health, advocacy and maternal and child health programs .

On November 3rd we celebrated National Women's Day, to commemorate the specific role of women in the struggle for independence, and in rebuilding the nation. And by 'we', I mean men and women both. The role and interest of Timorese men in advancing women's rights is far more visible and committed than is often seen in Australia. The Association of Men Against Violence (AKMV), established in 2001 by 20 Timorese men to provide community education, high level advocacy and to build networks, will have a significant role to play in mainstreaming the principles that underpin Timor-Leste's Law against Domestic Violence.

So a big job it will be. But not one with which Timorese people and organisations are unfamiliar, and certainly one they're well-equipped to do.