Female solidarity in the anticolonial struggle – from Timor-Leste to Mozambique

Camila Tribess Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), BRASIL

Female participation in the struggle for the independence of Timor-Leste is usually seen mostly in the guerrilla front, despite women’s presence on the diplomatic front. As Cunha (2014 p. 22) says: talking about women’s participation in anticolonial fights is a way to repair the "epistemicide" of the colonized people's knowledge. Concerning such aspects, this article analyzes the solidarity network established by the political diasporic performance of East Timorese women in Mozambique during the 1970s and 1980s. The aim is to understand relationships, strategies, political resistance and the importance of women’s participation towards freedom, known as buibere resistance. The discussion is based on interviews with women who participated in this process and also uses historical documents, such as biographies, reports and letters. The work intends to highlight the relevance of buibere action in foreign policy since they played strategic roles on the diplomatic front.