Step by Step: Women of East Timor

Step by Step: Women of East Timor, Stories of Resistance and Survival

Jude Conway

On 30th August 1999, the East Timorese people voted overwhelmingly in a United Nations sponsored referendum for independence from Indonesia. This was an unbelievable win by an oppressed people. Even the most optimistic person would never have dreamed that independence could happen so quickly after years of struggle for a seemingly impossible cause. This compilation provides the opportunity for thirteen outspoken East Timorese women to tell their life stories: what it was like living in a Portuguese colony; how they were affected by the Indonesian invasion; what day to day life was like under the occupation or in the diaspora; how they contributed to the resistance; and how they have adapted to the stark contrast of independence. These are the stories of Céu Lopes Federer, Dulce Vitor, Maria Dias, Laura Soares Abrantes, Domingas ‘Micato’ Fernandes Alves, Cesarina Rocha, Carolina do Rosário, Mica Barreto, Lucia Lobato, Isabel ‘Beba’ Sequeira, Ina Varella Bradridge, Luisa Ferreira Exposto and Filomena Reis. ‘These … are the stories of individual women, but much more than that, they document the recent history of the world’s newest nation, Timor-Leste… All the stories are of resistance, adaptation and survival… [and] inspire faith in the power of Timorese women to effect positive change of the kind that will transform lives and lead Timor-Leste to a future of health, dignity and wellbeing for all of its citizens.’ – Kirsty Sword Gusmão. ‘My story starts in 1975 in Portuguese East Timor. At this time East Timor in its innocence knew nothing of the ravages soon to be inflicted. It was a sleepy little colonial island, with whitewashed buildings, and drinkable water from every tap, that everyone back then took for granted.’ – Cesarina Rocha.