Background
Access to and control over land remains a critical issue in Timor-Leste, particularly for women in rural communities. Despite national legal frameworks recognizing gender equality, customary practices, limited awareness of land law, and structural barriers continue to restrict women's land ownership, inheritance, and decision-making power.
Women's secure land rights are essential for economic empowerment, food security, climate resilience, and social justice. Through this campaign, Oxfam in Timor-Leste aims to strengthen public awareness, influence policy dialogue, and mobilize community support to promote women's equal land rights.
Campaign Goal
To promote equitable land rights for women in Timor-Leste by raising awareness, influencing policy discourse, and amplifying women's voices at community and national levels.
Campaign Objectives
- Increase public awareness on the importance of women's land rights
- Strengthen women's understanding of legal land frameworks and inheritance rights
- Influence policymakers and local authorities to support gender-responsive land governance
- Amplify stories of women affected by land tenure insecurity
Key Messages
- Women Have the Right to Own and Inherit Land in Timor-Leste: The Constitution and national land laws recognize equality between women and men. Women have the legal right to own, inherit, and register land in their names.
- Customary Practices Must Respect Women's Legal Rights: While tara bandu and traditional inheritance systems are important cultural mechanisms, they should not deny women their constitutional rights to land ownership and decision-making.
- Land Registration Must Include Women's Names: Joint land titling and land registration processes should ensure that wives' names are included on land certificates to protect women's security and prevent disputes.
- Women's Land Rights Strengthen Food Security and Climate Resilience: In rural Timor-Leste, women are central to agriculture and natural resource management. Secure land tenure allows women to invest in farming, water conservation, and climate adaptation.
- Land Disputes Affect Women Differently: Infrastructure projects, urban expansion, and unclear land ownership systems often leave women excluded from consultations and compensation processes.
- Women Must Be Represented in Land Decision-Making Structures: Women should actively participate in Suco councils, community mediation processes, and national land policy discussions.
- Secure Land for Women Means Stronger Families and Communities: When women have secure land rights, household stability improves, children's wellbeing increases, and community development becomes more inclusive.
Target Audience
Primary Audience:
- Civil society organizations
- Feminist Movements
- Youth groups and university students
Timeframe
Campaign Duration: 1 March – 31 March (1 Month)
- Week 1 (March 1–7): Finalize key messages, develop creative concepts, design campaign posters, script Reel videos - Campaign toolkit ready (posters + 4 video scripts)
- Week 2 (March 8–14): Launch campaign online, publish Poster Series (Part 1 & 2), Release Reel Video #1 - 2 posters + 1 Reel published
- Week 3 (March 15–21): Release Reel Video #2 and #3, Continue poster distribution, Promote upcoming workshop - 2 Reels + poster amplification
- Week 4 (March 22–28): Conduct 1 Women's Land Rights Workshop (community or national level), Release Reel Video #4 - 1 workshop completed + final Reel
- March 29–31: Social media recap, highlights from workshop, engagement boosting and campaign wrap-up - Campaign summary post + engagement report
Expected Outputs Within One Month
- 4 Reel Videos with English subtitles on women's land rights stories
- Social Media Poster Series (minimum 4–6 posters)
- 1 Workshop on Women's Land Rights
- Social media posts
Monitoring & Evaluation
- Report
- Social media reach and engagement metrics
- Documentation of workshop activities
Sustainability & Risk Considerations
- Ensure ethical storytelling principles (dignity and informed consent)
- Address potential backlash from conservative actors through inclusive dialogue
- Link campaign outcomes to ongoing advocacy and policy reform initiatives
How to Apply
All applications must be submitted electronically to Oxfam in Timor-Leste by sending to [email protected] and [email protected].
