Ensuring wellbeing and a voice for women and girls in rural, disadvantaged areas is at the heart of our work in Timor-Leste.
Emerging as a new sovereign state of the 21st century following its restoration of independence in 2002, Timor-Leste has made great strides as a young nation. The country has shown progress in maintaining lasting peace and stability, as well as living standards for its population. Despite positive progress, economic growth remains a challenge and poverty levels remain high.
Some rural, remote communities in Timor-Leste still lack access to basic services, markets and livelihood opportunities. They also often have limited political representation and high vulnerability to climate and economic shocks. Within this cohort, women and girls are even more disadvantaged, due to deep-rooted gender inequality. They are vulnerable to experiencing extremely heavy workloads, low education and literacy levels, very limited voice in decision-making at any level, and high levels of maternal mortality and gender-based violence.
CARE has been working in Timor-Leste since 1994. With programmes that extend across all parts of the country, CARE works with partners to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice.
In Timor-Leste, we work with remote, rural communities and civil society partners to provide women and girls with opportunities to improve their livelihood, as this has been shown to be one of the most effective ways to create sustainable development outcomes.
Ensuring wellbeing and a voice for women and girls in rural, disadvantaged areas is at the heart of our work. This is achieved in four priority areas: education, women’s economic empowerment, health, and promoting women’s voices in society through development and humanitarian programs.
Fast facts
Population: 1.3 million (2022 est.)
Life expectancy: 68 years (69.6 female, 66.5 male) (2021 est.)
Infant mortality: 21.73 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Under-5 mortality: 48/58 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Maternal mortality: 223.5 deaths/100,000 live births (2019 est.)
Adult literacy rate: 66.5% female, 73.3% male (2020 est.)
Access to basic water: 80% rural, 96% urban (2022 est)
Labour force participation: 30.5% (24.2% female, 36.9 male) (2021est.)
GDP per capita: 1.53 thousand (2025 est.)
Sources: World Bank, WHO, UNICEF, ILO, IMF
Empowerment through education
CARE in Timor-Leste is renowned for its education sector support, particularly in improving literacy, numeracy and quality of teaching. We have partnered closely with Timor-Leste’s Ministry of Education since 2002.
Since 2001, CARE has produced and distributed Lafaek magazines, which feature educational content for schoolchildren, teachers and parents. These magazines, which are distributed three times a year to government-registered pre and primary schools and surrounding communities, provide vital messages for families and communities around health, hygiene, nutrition and agriculture.
Lafaek Ki’ik and Lafaek Prima reach all schoolchildren from preschool to grades 1-6, teaching basic literacy and numeracy skills, as well as gender equality. Lafaek Ba Manorin targets teachers with innovative teaching methodologies and educational tools. Lafaek ba Komunidade provides valuable information on healthcare and agricultural practices to households across the country.
CARE in Timor-Leste also implements the HATUTAN Education and Nutrition program. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and seeks to improve literacy outcomes, health, and nutrition and dietary practices for primary schoolchildren in three municipalities of Timor-Leste.
Since 2019, the HATUTAN program has collaborated with the Government of Timor-Leste to improve student reading and health practices at home and school. Efforts include supporting full implementation of the Government’s school feeding program. HATUTAN’s research demonstrates the positive impact of regular school meals throughout the school year, with improved student attendance and attentiveness, improved scores for reading and cognitive abilities, and increased parent participation at schools.
Learn more about the Lafaek Learning Media and HATUTAN Education and Nutrition programs.
Strengthening health emergency preparedness
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how vulnerabilities in health systems and services can have serious implications on health, economic progress and livelihoods, particularly for rural women who are already impacted by existing structural inequalities. As Timor-Leste continues to recover from pandemic’s impact, the country’s already stretched health system requires additional support to prepare for future crises while adapting to current demands.
The COVID-19 and Health Systems Strengthening Project is funded by the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF), administered by the World Bank Group and implemented by CARE in Timor-Leste. The development objective of the project is to strengthen the capacity of communities — including leaders, health workers and civil society organisations — to respond to existing pandemics, as well as prepare for future health emergencies. to respond to existing pandemics, as well as prepare for future health emergencies.
The project aims to ensure the effective implementation of national COVID-19 and general public health emergency preparedness and response at a grass-roots level, focusing on health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Disaster preparedness and risk reduction efforts
Global research shows that natural disasters impact women and girls more than men.
In Timor-Leste, CARE is leading the Disaster READY project consortium, aimed at increasing the resilience and reducing the vulnerability of women and girls at risk of natural disasters and climate change impacts.
By promoting women’s participation and leadership in emergency preparation and disaster risk reduction planning processes, CARE aims to support women in Timor-Leste in reducing the negative effects of natural disasters and climate change.
Women lead in emergencies
Meet Petronella, a dedicated leader who has turned her disaster preparation and response work with CARE into a platform for profound, life-changing initiatives.
“Our mission is prevention,” Petronella explains. “We save money at home and in the group so that we can attend to any disasters in the community.”
In a place where natural disasters are all too common, Petronella and her group of 30 women take matters into their own hands.
CARE’s involvement in disaster preparedness has helped communities in Timor-Leste better prepare for, manage and respond to rapid and slow onset disasters. Program participants gained more knowledge and awareness of disaster risks, and, thanks to women taking lead roles in Disaster Management Committees, the steps to prepare for crises became more inclusive of everyone’s needs.
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Your donation can help end extreme poverty and give people the means to build a better future for themselves in countries like Timor-Leste.
For those living in extreme poverty, your support brings education and training, healthcare and clean water, nutritious food, and new ways to earn an income. And in times of crisis, you help us deliver emergency relief. Please donate today.
Read more about our ongoing impact in Timor-Leste:
The ongoing work we do in Timor-Leste is in partnership with these local organisations: Assosiasaun Rede Covalima (ARC), Movimentu Feto Foin Sae Timor-Leste (MOFFE), Mane Ho Vizaun Foun (MHVF), Fundasaun Knua Haberan Comunidade, NGO Belun, Rotaract Club of Dili, Xanana Gusmão Reading Room, National University of Timor-Leste, Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste, Ra’es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO) and FOKUPERS.
