"I've taken several GBV courses, but the TOT component of this one is critical for me to be professional when assisting others and discussing GBV." As stated by Maria Amaral, SEII’s Focal Point in Railaco, the purpose of this program was to certify government officials who had previously attended GBV and gender mainstreaming training. The initiative emphasizes sustainability, cost efficiency, and long-term impact by building a pool of qualified trainers inside line ministries, allowing locally available government resources to be used, a priority investment as Timor-Leste progresses towards decentralization.

During the activity's opening, UNDP's Deputy Resident Representative Adeline Carrier emphasized how this was "...part of the municipality's recommendation from the recent consultation conducted by UNDP's gender specialist in Ermera." The recent Spotlight Initiative Report highlighted the need for capacity building in gender training since just one-third of participants had prior exposure to such training. The report also revealed the urgency of addressing gender-based violence and domestic violence, given that Ermera ranks second highest in cases of intimate partner violence in Timor-Leste “… heavily affecting women and girls in many ways. And remember these women are our mothers, our daughters, and our sisters”, urges Adeline.

Adeline Carrier expressed her hope that the training would help participants to build strategies and coordinated plans of action linked with the NAP-GBV, producing a ripple effect in promoting gender equality and combating GBV at the municipal level from the top down. "Those in positions of municipal leadership have a higher responsibility to prevent Gender-Based Violence," says Alexandre Salsinha, Ermera's Post Administrator, "We must work together to prevent violence against women and girls and its negative impacts in our communities.”