By Benedict Mukoni………….
More than 25 countries under their umbrella body organization of World Union of Catholic Women Organization (WUCWO), Africa region convened a four days workshop of women Catholic leaders on the project of World Women’s Observatory at Ulrika, Kisubi in Kampala Uganda from Sept 16 – 19, 2024.
Under the theme “Merciful parents, peaceful families,” the workshop was held with the cardinal intent to empower and widen networks of Catholic women, both lay and religious.
Sr. Maureen Ogundefu, Sacramentine Sister of Bagamoyo, residing in Kenya, is the community manager in the English-speaking African countries who acts as a link from grassroots. she gets in touch with Catholic women, both lay and religious, and do activities basing on their mission of listening and transforming the life of the women, especially the invisible and the vulnerable.
“We listen and where possible try to assist them through supporting them, emotionally and where possible materially.” Sr. Maureen noted.
According to Sr. Maureen, the organization does a lot of networking, collaborating, and being in touch and to empower one another. Catholic women and Religious Sisters also learn from one another in the process, take on good practices so that they can adapt them.
The National programs coordinator, Family Office at the Ugandan Episcopal Conference (UEC), Mrs. Florence Kevin, revealed that they shared, mostly about the violence and discrimination about women, what they can do and how they can improve homes to avoid violence and discrimination against women and children.
“Ugandan Episcopal Conference promotes prevention campaign of domestic violence, and we involve all the 19 dioceses. We have successfully coordinated women mobilization, and at the same time, done women empowerment program, uplifting and uniting all women.” Florence noted.
Now, the vice president, WUCWO, Region of Africa, Mrs. Evelyn Melissa Tega, lauded the joint efforts established between Catholic Women Associations and Religious Sisters. She said it will help them reach more women and men. They aim at continued raising of their voices so that the world can hear how women suffer and also how to listen to them, bring them to light and help them with economical projects that can transform their lives.
When His Grace Paul Semogerere, the Archbishop of Kampala asked them what support they need from the church and their message was very clear that they cannot do it alone. They need serious support from the Church.
Funded by Hilton Foundation at WUCWO, the project started in Latin America and later moved to Africa in 2022 with the first meeting in Nairobi and later collected data tailored at listening to the crime of the women in Africa, their inner voice, challenges that they are facing around discrimination and gender violence. The project will extend to other continents with time.
Currently, WUCWO has over 8 million members in over 15 countries and have about 80 member organizations. It trained over 400 women across all our organizations in 2022 to be able to take lead on the Synod and the conversation in spirit and capacity building is key to them, because people have different understandings, talents, and trainings.