Government of Timor-Leste

With the purpose of promoting timorese local products developed by women and to celebrate Rural Women International Day, on the 15^th of October, the Institute for the Support of Business Development, from the Ministry of Economy and Development (Portuguese acronym IADE - MED), the Secretariat of State for the Promotion of Equality (Portuguese acronym SEPU) and the Secretariat of State of Professional Training and Employment (Portuguese acronym SEFP) have organized, for the third consecutive year, the “Fiar” Fair (Feto iha Servisu Ba An Rasik – self-employed Women).

Maria Filomena Babo Martins, Head of SEPI’s Department of Training and Education, explains that “this year, the “Fiar” Fair theme was the “Rural Women and the Local Product” and this initiative, besides promoting local products made by women, also intends to incentivate them to develop their work to earn an income for themselves, and in this way help their families”.

From year to year, the fair has been increasing in size and in income. Last year there were 55 exhibitors and the money from the sales was around 25 thousand dollars. This year the value increased to more than 28 thousand dollars and the number of exhibitors to 69.

Because the fair is dedicated to women, only women can exhibit their products. In order to do it, they have to present a proposal to SEPI, SEFOPE or IADE – MED. Taking into account that the majority of exhibitors come from outside of Díli, the fair’s organizers defined that the proposals can be submitted to the departments existing in the districts.

The fair’s organization process is already defined and implemented, as Maria Filomena Babo Martins explains: “From the proposals that we received, select and choose those that have positive results in their project’s implementation, that have a well made product and that can be sold at the fair. This selection is made in the districts. When the number of groups, to come and exhibit their products, is defined – this year 69 groups have come from the 13 districts – we prepared and numbered the stands, and when the groups arrive they go directly to their marked place and start to organize their exhibits with the products they bring from all over the national territory”.

The SEPI still supports the women that exhibit their products in the fair, attributing a sum for work preparation and transport.

The organization intends to keep organizing the fair real at least once a year, “mainly to celebrate the Rural Women International Day. The exhibitors have already suggested that we carry out this fair several times per year, in an appropriate space...they request a proper market that can be here in Díli or in the remaining districts” advanced the Head of the Department of Training and Education of SEPI.