Understanding Violence Against Women and Children in Timor-Leste: Findings from the Nabilan Baseline Study Main Report

This report, Understanding Violence against Women and Children in Timor-Leste: Findings from the Nabilan Baseline Study, provides the first nationally representative data on women’s experiences and men’s perpetration of violence in Timor-Leste. The findings show alarmingly high rates of violence, with serious impacts on women’s health, families, and communities.

For the first time, the study also documents men’s use of violence and identifies key risk and protective factors—such as the urgent need to address widespread child abuse—offering clear, evidence-based recommendations for prevention. The research underscores that violence against women is both a human rights violation and a critical barrier to Timor-Leste’s development, while providing valuable evidence to guide government, civil society, and international efforts to eliminate violence.