PROJECTS
Together in Strength: Paths to Protection & Belonging
After receiving support under Meridian Fund, Outright International, continued its support (2026) to strengthen our ongoing movement to create a safe, and inclusive society for LGBTIQ+ community for queer women and girls. It aims to empower LGBTIQ+ members on online safety and provide skills to protect themselves from cyber bullying, threats, harassment, blackmailing, and unwanted outing leading to trauma, mental stress, and self-harm. The members will learn about safe browsing skills, identify fake news and protect their identities. It is also working with media to sensitize and educate the existing media (Print, Radio television) to adopt respectful and inclusive language, avoid sensationalism, promote LGBTIQ+ rights as human rights against discrimination and violence and to create general mass awareness and sensitization on LGBTIQ+ rights and on SOGIESC.
A Step Towards Sustainability
2024-2025 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.
Taking the Lead - Empowering LGBTIQ+ community to make right decisions, become economically independent and leading a respectful and dignified life.
A two year's initiative (2025-2027) supported by CFLI is aiming at empowering 100 LGBTIQ+ members by building their vocational skills so they can be economically independent; gain respect within their families and society at large. The target groups will also receive information on SOGIESC and right. We are increasing the access of community members to get basic vocational skills like carpentry, gardening, electricity, hospitality, cooking, computer and English or other languages in demand to improve their chances of getting employment. Having skills in hands, these marginalised community members are expected to integrate with the general population, feel valued and accepted.
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. Arcoiris is receiving continued support from Women Fund Asia under 'Strengthening Feminist Movements (SFM) Programme' support (2024-2026) to expand our existing SOGIESC sensitization & awareness building work activism in district Oe-cusse which is until now isolated from national LGBTIQ+ movement. This is helping in bringing new momentum by adding new district to existing LGBTIQ+ work at national level. We are organizing school-based sessions, community-based awareness meetings with local leaders, and families on SOGIESC, GBV and human rights. We are promoting economic empowerment of LGBTIQ+ members by supporting with necessary business items, equipment and materials. Moreover, we are using the support for creating visibility and public discourse by holding panel discussions, rainbow activities and pride events.
Earlier Women Fund Asia, supported (2022-2024) under the '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.
Promote Inclusion and Resilience in All Diversities
In year 2026, Arcoiris is receiving support from Plan International, in sustaining its earlier initiative to strengthen economic independence of LGBTIQ+ community promoting their better acceptance and dignity in their respective families focusing in two municipalities i.e., Aileu and Ermera. It is promoting soft skills among LGBTIQ community i.e., computer & language skills to increase their chances of economic independence and increasing their access to employment programs. The selected LGBTIQ+ members are also receiving support in their ongoing businesses for its sustainability. We are working with key stakeholders like, family, and media for SOGIESC education & social acceptance of LGBTIQ member
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, Timor Leste
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.