The project, funded by the European Union, focused on empowering women, youth, and people with disabilities to actively engage in the electoral process. PITL, along with its CSO partners ADTL, Belun, Caucus, JPIC, MOFFE, and Pátria, worked closely with key government institutions including the National Electoral Commission (CNE) and the Technical Secretariat for Election Administration (STAE).

The key achievements of the project included strengthening community radio stations, which played a crucial role in disseminating electoral information. The initiative enhanced accessibility for people with disabilities by improving the knowledge of individuals with visual impairments in reading and writing braille, as well as supporting those with hearing impairments through sign language training. Additionally, the project contributed to empowering youth and women from political parties and organizations, including village chiefs (chefe suco), with the aim of enhancing their participation in democratic processes. It also advocated for inclusive electoral laws for future elections. These interventions were strategically designed to address gaps in electoral legislation, promote inclusivity, and empower marginalized groups in the democratic process.

Importantly, the project responded to challenges identified in previous elections and supported the implementation of recommendations made in the 2022 and 2023 EU Election Mission Observation reports.  The initiative placed a strong emphasis on engaging youth in the democratic process.

“Democracy thrives when citizens believe in its promise and therefore actively participate in shaping its future. In Timor-Leste, we see this belief shining brightly. Through this project we have witnessed communities come together, young people finding their voices, and women developing their role in shaping electoral outcomes. This is what democracy at its best looks like: diverse, dynamic, and driven by hope. In democracies, there is no substitute for civic engagement. So let’s continue to nurture and encourage this engagement and enthusiasm.,” said HE Mr. Marc Fiedrich, the EU Ambassador to Timor-Leste.

“On behalf of the Plan International Timor-Leste team and our CSO partners, including ADTL, Belun, JPIC, Pátria, MOFFE & Caucus, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the European Union for providing financial support for the project implementation. I also extend my appreciation to government institutions such as CNE & STAE for their support during the project implementation, as well as to the relevant CSOs. This project has contributed significantly to inclusive participation in elections in Timor-Leste,” said Interim Country Director of Plan International Timor-Leste, Mrs. Fátima Estrela Soares.