The first effective sentence handed down by a Timor-Leste court for domestic violence signals a new line in the sand for the newly public crime.

Author Archives: Sophie Raynor
Sophie Raynor is a freelance writer based in Dili, Timor-Leste, interested in gender, youth and politics in Southeast Asia. She is on Twitter @raynorsophie.
Barlarke in Today’s Timor-Leste
Centuries-old marriage traditions are now being reconsidered and reimagined for contemporary, capitalistic Timor-Leste.
Children of Independence
In its early days of independence, Timor-Leste had one of the world’s highest birth rates. 20 years on from the nation’s vote for freedom, those babies are on the brink of adulthood, having grown up in a sovereign country still bearing the bruises of a vicious fight for freedom.
Repopulating Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has one of the world’s highest natural birth rates and a robust, rights-based family planning policy to match. But as the country has learnt, what’s on paper is only half of the story.
Timor-Leste’s Forgotten Heroes
16 years ago, Timor-Leste reclaimed its independence after decades of brutal occupation. The world’s attention turned away. But for the women whose contributions to independence go unrecognised, the fight never stopped.
Behind Timor-Leste’s Pride
Timor-Leste’s first Pride parade last year was heralded in international headlines as a major win for LGBTQ equality, but advocates and activists say there’s still a long way to go to shift mindsets.