When Lidia de Jesus looks back at her life just a few years ago, she remembers fear, isolation and uncertainty. Today, she is helping lead a national movement for domestic workers in Timor-Leste.
Lidia, 46, is from Manatutu municipality in Timor-Leste’s rugged mountain heartland. For many years she was a full-time homemaker, raising her children and trying to hold her family together. But like many women in rural Timor-Leste, she faced serious hardship. Domestic violence forced her to leave home and find work in Dili so she could support her children living back in the mountains. With little information and few networks, Lidia found work as a domestic worker earning just USD$50 a month. The pay was extremely low, but she continued because her children depended on her. “I worked because I had no choice,” she later explained. “I needed to send money home.”
Collective Support for a Secure Job
Everything changed when a co-worker told her about the Working Women’s Centre Timor-Leste (WWCTL), a Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA partner that supports domestic workers to know their rights, find safe employment and organise for change.
At first, Lidia simply attended a meeting to listen. Within two weeks, she had registered as a member. For the first time, she learned that domestic work is real work and that workers like her have the right to fair pay, a written contract and respectful treatment. WWCTL helped her secure a new job through a formal process, including a contract signed by both worker and employer. It was the first time Lidia had experienced this level of protection. Over the next few years, the organisation continued to support her, ensuring she was not left vulnerable or exploited.
Gradually, her life began to stabilise. Her salary increased to $140 a month, a life-changing amount for Lidia and her children. With the income she earned, she was able to build a small house in Dili and provide for her family’s necessities. “Before, I was only thinking about how to survive,” she said. “Now I can think about the future of my children.”
Like many domestic workers, Lidia’s journey was not easy. She experienced unfair treatment and unsafe living conditions in some workplaces, including being asked to sleep in situations that made her uncomfortable. But this time, she wasn’t alone. With support from her peers and WWCTL, she was able to leave her unsafe job and find a new one where her rights were respected.
Today, Lidia works as a live-out domestic worker in Dili. She earns a regular wage, has weekends off, and her employer supports her to contribute to social security. Just as importantly, she feels respected and confident in her work. “I feel happy with my job now,” she says. “I go home after work, I can rest on weekends, and I know my work has value.”
Organising for Change
But Lidia’s story does not stop there. In June 2025, domestic workers across Timor-Leste made history when they held a national congress and officially formed the Sindikatu Traballadór Doméstiku Timor-Leste (STD-TL) - the country’s first domestic workers’ union. This union win was proudly supported by WWCTL and Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA.
At that historic gathering, Lidia was elected Vice-President. Standing in front of fellow workers from across the country, she spoke about how her life had changed:
“I used to be afraid to ask for a day off,” she said. “Today, I stand to make sure every domestic worker has the right to rest. WWCTL taught me that my work is a profession and my voice has value. Now I don’t just negotiate for myself, I negotiate for all of us.”
Her leadership reflects a much bigger change taking place in Timor-Leste. Domestic workers, most of whom are women, have long worked in isolation, often without contracts, fair pay or legal protection. Through Union Aid Abroad’s partnership with local organisations like WWCTL, more workers are learning their rights, accessing safe employment and building collective power. Training sessions help workers understand labour rights and social protection. Job-matching services ensure workers are connected with employers who agree to fair conditions. Most importantly, domestic workers are organising together to demand recognition and legal protection as workers.
A Project with Real Impact
In the last six months, the project has achieved:
- 165 workers reached directly through training, meetings and outreach activities.
- 69 domestic workers trained in leadership and public speaking to strengthen the new domestic workers’ union.
- 31 women trained in practical domestic work skills, rights awareness and employment readiness.
- 4 labour rights cases resolved through the WWCTL hotline, helping women recover unpaid wages and challenge unfair treatment.
- 3 union leadership training sessions delivered to build confidence and organising skills among domestic workers
- Multiple community workshops and outreach activities were delivered in rural municipalities to raise awareness of labour rights and promote safe, fair work.
Change does not happen overnight. It begins with small steps: attending a meeting, signing a contract, speaking up about unfair treatment. With the right support, those steps can grow into leadership and lasting change. Thanks to WWCTL and the generosity of supporters in Australia, more women like Lidia are moving from fear to confidence, from exploitation to fair work, and from isolation to collective strength.
Today, Lidia is proud of what she has achieved and determined to help others do the same. “I want every domestic worker to know that we are not alone,” she says. “We deserve respect. We deserve fair work. And together, we are strong.”
Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA supports the Women’s Working Centre of Timor Leste (WWCTL) in partnership with the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
