The Secretary of State for the Promotion of Equality Idelta Maria Rodrigues said there had been a lot of progress through the work of SEPI, as they managed to get women to participate in the process of national development. 
Secretary of State Idelta Maria Rodrigues made the comments after participating in the fourth Women’s National Congress at Delta Nova Hall in Comoro.
“From the Fourth Constitutional Government to the Fifth Constitutional Government, the Secretariat of State for the Promotion of Equality (SEPI) managed to achieve a lot of progress and put in the maximum participation towards the national development of the country,” she said.
Secretary of State Rodrigues said in the justice sector the government established four mobile units to cover the 13 districts that could look into domestic violence, human rights violations and sexual abuse cases involving women.
She said SEPI’s policies managed to get women to do training at the Judicial Training Centre about human rights, gender and the CEDAW Convention.
In the area of education, she said a welfare program run in 2012 benefitted 4000 people, with 90% of them children studying in basic schools.
“The number of girls registered in secondary schools and technical schoolsis 21,107 (50.6%) compared to 20,603 (49.4%) for boys,” said Rodrigues.
Meanwhile, the President of the Women’s Network Ivete de Oilveira said she was grateful to the leaders of the nation who struggled to liberate people from poverty.
“To our humble heroines from the Popular Women’s Organization of Timor-Leste (OPMT) and Timor Women’s Organization (OMT), and also female leaders who died,” she said.
She asked for the continued support of female veterans, who were involved in the armed struggle for independence and helped to release other women from inequality and violence so they could be involved in national development.
At the same time, President of the Republic Taur Matan Ruak said during the resistance women made a big contribution to development.
“Our female veterans and those who are not here, they gave their contribution to the nation,” he said.
President Ruak said women participated in national liberation for all families, not for individual interests.
“This formed our nation as so many women became widows,” he said.
