NGO takes on women's rights

DILI, 26 September 2008 (IRIN) - As a girl, Laura Pina was not expected to slave in the kitchen simply by virtue of her gender. Then she got married.

Pina was shocked when she went to visit her in-laws for the first time. "They thought women had to serve the husband's family," she said.

"They thought I had to stay and cook in the kitchen for all the ceremonies. They expected me to stay in the kitchen all day and then eat last because that was their custom - even if we sometimes ate in the middle of the night."

Pina could not agree to such traditional behaviour. Her parents were teachers and they had always encouraged her to get an education and be independent.

When she saw how Timorese women were treated as second-class citizens, she decided to do something about it. She started by arguing with her mother-in-law. Read more...

East Timor Women - Raising awareness of the plight of women in East Timor