Abstract
This chapter explores the issue of the neglected and abused elderly, with the data derived from research on elderly subsidies conducted by the same author in 2015 in the municipalities of Baucau, Viqueque, Maliana, Ermera and Suai in Timor-Leste. Through the daily living experiences of four elderly women, this chapter argues that in the discourse of caring for the elderly in Timorese families, problems related to neglect, violence and abuse emerged as a latent phenomenon, which the Timorese community considers private household affairs that are not supposed to be revealed to others. This chapter aims to unfold the cross-cutting reality of human rights violations involving elderly women which is often neglected in public debate.
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Notes
- 1.
See also Chapter 7.
- 2.
A piece of handmade cloth with traditional motifs that characterize a specific location.
- 3.
It is the term used to call an elderly with respect, equivalent to “grandma.”
- 4.
Traditional obligatory contribution to family ceremonies, including weddings and funerals, which are usually in kind (Tais) or in animals such as buffalos, pigs or goats.
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Tam, T.N.T.P. (2022). The Neglected Rights of Elderly Women in Timor-Leste. In: Khoo, Y.H., da Silva, A.B., Tam, T.N.T.P. (eds) Rethinking Human Rights and Peace in Post-Independence Timor-Leste Through Local Perspectives. Palgrave Macmillan Studies on Human Rights in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3779-7_8
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