Alzira Sequeira Freitas dos Reis

DTP alumna Alzira dos Reis is a human rights advocate from Timor-Leste with decades of experience in the field of women and child rights. Currently, Alzira is the Country Director of ChildFund Timor-Leste part of ChildFund Australia. ChildFund Australia is an Australian NGO that is also a member of the ChildFund Alliance, one of the world’s oldest and most experienced child-focused development agencies.

As the Country Director of this prestigious Australian NGO in Dili, Alzira provides strategic leadership in conceptualisation and management of diverse child rights related programs such as supporting early childhood education, enhancing child literacy rate, youth empowerment and promoting maternal and child health in Timor-Leste, among others.

She also oversees smooth operation of the office and manages almost 38 staff.

Alzira credits the DTP training program for enhancing her knowledge and skills on advocacy.

“DTP has contributed to my own growth. After the training, I formed nuanced understanding about how international human rights frameworks could be utilized in national and international campaigns.”

She says participating in that training widened her knowledge about diplomacy in human rights advocacy.

“DTP trained me how to engage with government agencies diplomatically. The training taught me to appreciate the power of networking in diplomacy. We built a network of alumni after the training and kept in touch.”

That network came in handy when a fellow alumnus was arrested in Papua: “we discussed strategies to support our fellow alumni.”

Alzira’s commitment to human rights advocacy is strongly rooted in her own experiences of facing discrimination because of her gender. Her home country, Timor-Leste is a highly patriarchal society where gender inequality is widespread. For example, The Gender Gap report of the World Economic Forum ranks Timor-Leste 124th out of 149 countries, placing it at the bottom in East Asia and Pacific region.

“I have faced discrimination in my own family as my family prioritized education of male siblings over girls.” That personal experience of inequality motivated her to become a strong advocate for gender equality. For that reason, she dedicated her career for achieving equal rights of the women and girls in Timor-Leste.

Alzira dos Reis has held numerous leadership and advisory roles, including being a current board member at Mary Ward International Australia Ltd, and Board member of NGO HAMANSA. She is a long-standing Treasurer for PRADET (Psychosocial Recovery & Development in East Timor).

She has also served as the Vice President of the Timor-Leste Women’s Movement (Rede Feto), and as a focal point for the Women CAUCUS on ASEAN, and coordinator for the 2016 ASEAN People Forum in Timor-Leste.

Alzira’s vision for the future is centered on achieving equal treatment for women and girls in Timor-Leste, ensuring that they have access to the same opportunities and benefits as men, particularly in education, health, and leadership.