The formal steps taken by successive governments of Timor-Leste to increase the representation of women in Parliament are commendable and fully in line with commitments contained in the Constitution and in the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which Timor-Leste has ratified. The prominent role played by women in Parliament and other spheres of public life since independence are evidence that this and similar policies have had a positive effect. However, an element of formality still attaches to the legal requirement that women fill every third place on party candidate lists. A more concerted and systematic effort by government and civil society to inform women of the opportunities that are open to them and how they can take advantage of them could give real momentum to this initiative.