Sebastiana Da Costa Pereira

Human Rights - East Timor (East Asia)

East Timor’s struggle for independence was achieved in 2002, but the road to equality continues. Abathy believes that the marginalisation of women in East Timor is not consistent with the democratic ideals of the young nation. For example, the prevalence of domestic violence is of great concern to her, but it is an abuse that reflects the discrimination encountered at the most senior levels of society.

As well as coming as a delegate to OIYP2004, Abathy has been involved with Oxfam since 1999. For the past year, she has carried the responsibility of Gender Resource Officer for Oxfam Australia in East Timor, and has been involved in numerous projects to educate men and women alike on the rights and protection of women. However, Abathy fears these efforts may be rendered ineffective if inequality in the judicial and legislative systems persists. She believes that changing the legislation and providing support for women in the legal system are equally as important as education. Abathy seeks to unite NGOs with similar objectives, and increase the pressure on government and other authorities to address the problem.