Regions and Countries

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p. 4 of 18 BACK | NEXT I. Country Performance Assessment A. Economic Performance Assessment B. Poverty Assessment C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance D. Governance: Sound Development Management II. Country Operational Strategy III. Sector Strategies IV. Regional Cooperation V. Donor Activities and Aid Coordination VI. Cofinancing and Catalyzing External Resources VII. ADB’s Operational Program VIII. Economic and Sector Work Program

Country Assistance Plans - East Timor : I. Country Performance Assessment

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C. Assessment of Socio-Environmental Performance

1. Gender Issues

12. Under most Timorese traditional systems, the role of women is severely limited, with men dominating decision-making and leadership roles within villages. The respective roles of men and women changed substantially as a result of the social disruption caused by the long-term struggle for independence in East Timor, with women participating fully in all aspects of the clandestine front and in the armed resistance. The role of women extended also to include traditionally male income generation activities, and women gained new skills and responsibilities in many new areas.

13. One serious social legacy of the conflict of the last 24 years has been the large number of widows. Female-headed households now estimated at around 9 percent of the total. Further, a UN study has found that many women have been subjected to rape and other sexual abuse, including forced sterilization, coerced prostitution, and sexual slavery during the conflict 5 . To date, there has been no gender-based analysis of the differential effects of the conflict on men and women, or of the varying roles of men and women in peace building and post-conflict reconstruction and development in East Timor.

14. The need for complete re-establishment of institutions in East Timor provides a unique opportunity to move away from traditional gender stereotypes. In addition, special measures need to be introduced to support changes in attitude, structures, and mechanisms at political, legal, community, and household levels so that women can participate equally in decision-making and access to resources. The existence of civil society organizations, including women’s organizations, is a relatively recent phenomenon in East Timor.

2. Human Development

15. Based on Indonesian Government statistics prior to the 1999 upheaval, social indicators in East Timor already demonstrated a low level of human development, with some 50 percent of the population clustered around the poverty line. East Timor’s population was young, with 35-40 percent below the age of 18. 6 Morbidity and mortality rates were relatively high, particularly among infants and children, many of whom suffered from a combination of malnutrition and infection. Life expectancy was low and most households did not have access to safe water or electricity. In 1997 the literacy rate was 41 percent and almost half the population had never attended school. This situation has worsened dramatically since the destruction of September 1999, leading necessarily to a focus on meeting basic human needs and rebuilding communities.

3. Environment

16. The terrain of East Timor is erosion-prone, with poor soil and unpredictable rainfall. Traditionally, agriculture has focused on minimizing risk rather than maximizing production. The displacement of people to unfertile lowlands in the northern coastal plains in 1999 has increased pressure on the existing arable land. As much as 70,000 hectares of forest were burned in the last decade according to official estimates, although some analysts believe the real figure is much higher. The main consequences of deforestation are loss of genetic resources and increased erosion and flash floods from barren hillsides. Institutional structures need to be established urgently to implement environmental protection measures and to draft and enforce regulations aimed at ensuring a working system of natural resource governance across all sectors and users.

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