by Elyse Ruest-Archambault

07 September 2010

Dili, Timor-Leste: My name is Elyse Ruest-Archambault. I come from Montreal, Canada, and have been working as a UNV volunteer Gender Officer for United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) since 2009.

My academic background is in industrial engineering. During my studies, I realized that women and men are expected to carry out different jobs in our societies. As a female engineer, I wanted to change this and increase the participation of women in science, which is why I went on to study gender and now work on women’s participation in peace-building in Timor-Leste.

Before coming to Dili, I worked for several NGOs in Bangladesh; as a Gender Advisor for the Voluntary Service Overseas and then for Action Against Hunger in refugee camps at the border with Myanmar. Prior to working in the development sector, I did some research and development with the European Commission in the area of policy for gender equality in science.

As part of UNMIT’s growing Gender team, I ensure liaison with other international NGOs, the Secretariat for Promotion of Equality (SEPI) and various ministries to ensure that they get our support and that we are up to date on their activities and training requirements.

I prepare gender tools and provide logistical support to prepare and organize gender-related workshops, conferences, Women’s Day events, etc. I really appreciate the opportunity to provide Gender Induction to all new UNMIT staff; particularly UNPOLs (United Nations Police) who have to deal with many cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence since it is the largest category of crimes reported to the police in Timor-Leste.

I decided to become a UNV volunteer to learn more about gender and development, and share the knowledge I have acquired during my previous professional experiences. I feel privileged to work with Timorese women and men to fight against violence and empower vulnerable groups.

After work, I play football in an all women’s team. We often play against Timorese college girls who usually win. Football is a great way to challenge gender perceptions about women and sports.