PROJECTS
A Step Towards Sustainability
Supported by Outright International Under Meridian Fund, this project is aiming at supporting our work to advance the rights of the LGBTIQ+ community; help Arcoiris in strengthening our internal capacities and building and promoting visibility of our work and community we are working with. The key activities including strengthening financial system, creating Arcoiris Website, organize Rainbow events and provide support to LGBTIQ members in need.
Breaking the Barriers in accessing inclusive Sexual Reproductive Health information and services” by increasing community sensitization through mass advocacy events and focused interventions with vulnerable groups
This was supported by CFLI for the year 2022. It was a project to support two soccer teams of LBT community as well as enhancing the knowledge and skills on SRHR. By attending the project activities like training program on SRHR, SOGIESC, human rights they were able to receive the information about how to keep themselves safe, how to say no or respect no from someone as we call it consent. The boys and girls were aware of their bodies, received confirmation about their gender identities and sexual orientations. It is expected that after receiving information they will behave responsibly, taking responsibilities for their acts, sharing information with their peers and access socio-medical services in time in response to their needs.
Wellness Survey of LGBTIQ Community in Timor Leste
Arcoiris partnered with ASEAN SOGIESC Caucus to undertake research on the issue of wellbeing of LGBTIQ community in Timor Leste. Arcoiris used basic principles of Feminist Participatory Approach Research to reach out the most vulnerable communities and understand their day-to-day challenges. This work is part of regional effort. ASC is focusing on feminist evidence-based advocacy as a tool to undertake the regional advocacy work. Feminist evidence-based advocacy is stressing the feminist participatory research approach in documenting and producing the evidence. It is implemented in four countries i.e., Timor Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. It aims to understand the existing socioeconomic-cultural status of the LGBTIQ+ community; to understand the discrimination faced by LGBTIQ+ community for accessing basic services with reference to health, education and livelihood; and provide recommendations on how to reduce discrimination and violence and promote inclusion, acceptance within families and societies. The research report has been ready for publication and to share in the public domain.
Strengthen Organization and its mandate
1. Supported by Women Fund Asia, under Strengthening Movement Grant. The project is aiming at expanding the existing SOGIESC sensitization & awareness building work activism in the municipality of Oe-cusse which is, one isolated district of Timor Leste and not much work related to human rights, inclusion and SOGIESC has been rolled out there. Although, there were two Pride events been held in last couple of years. This will bring new momentum by adding new district to existing LGBTIQ national movement.
2. Arcoiris Timor Leste is being supported by Blue Mountains East Timor Sister (BMETS) and Andrew McNaughton Foundation for several years. It is supporting the ‘safe place’ at Arcoiris Timor Leste, which is used as a short term shelter for LBT community members. This shelter is also offering skill based training aiming at promoting and helping LGBTIQ+ community become economically independent. This stage is highly important for them to live a dignified life with or without depending on their families. The LGBTIQ+ community members use the space to share, learn, get reference for jobs and get to know about the opportunities for educational support, emergency relief and others.
The Plan International, the Association for the Development of Timor-Leste's Disabilities (AHDMTL), and the Arcoiris Timor-Leste (ATL), are partners in the project, Towards inclusive and assured futures
Unlocking the full potential of Timorese people in all their diversity’ with financial support from European Union (EU), is implementing 30-month (1 February 2023 to 31 July 2025) projects to support local civil society (OSS) organizations and local governments to effectively respond to the rights of the people living with disability and LGBTIQ+ community in 12 sucos across the municipalities of Dili, Ainaro and Ermera. The program focuses on human rights, especially social and economic rights. This project is in the backdrop of the existence of LGBTIQ + communities in Timor-Leste which is facing numerous challenges in daily life, both within the family and society in general. There are no such laws that prohibiting discrimination, violations based on gender identity and sexual orientation hence the violence continues to occur, making them vulnerable and difficult to fully exercise their human rights.
U.S. Embassy
In year 2022, US Embassy in Timor Leste supported an initiative focused on school based education programs on Human Rights, SOGIESC, Gender based violence and community outreach. Arcoiris Timor-Leste started implementing its project called ‘Gender Based Violence Prevention in Community Practices’ in Dili. It aimed at creating awareness and build skills among the youth and various other community stakeholders on prevention of gender-based violence. It was base on a premise that the young people and youth possess necessary knowledge, information, and skills on different aspects and root cause of violence, it is difficult to expect them to break the cycle of violence in their personal relationships, families, and communities. Simultaneously it is important to work at the community level to create a safe, supportive and enlightened environment for the Youth Promoters to use their knowledge and actively participate in the GBV prevention activities.