In February 2019, what temperature do we have?

Let's take today's world temperature. In the northern hemisphere, we usually suffer a lot of cold, whereas in most of the southern hemisphere, a lot of heat. But let's use the thermometer to measure the temperatures of our society.

Please find below a report by the Uganda Catholic Women's Organization on domestic violence.

Violence against women in Uganda is predominantly domestic. And in its reference as Domestic Violence, is at epidemic level worldwide. Recent statistics in Uganda shows that 30% of women or one of every three women is a victim of physical and or sexual domestic violence at least once in their lifetime. The majority of victims experience multiple assaults rather than just one. A 2006 study by the Uganda Law Reform Commission indicates that 66% of men and women respondents had experienced domestic violence (CEDOVIP 2007). However, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics report published in 2007 68% of ever-married women aged 15-49 years had experienced some form of violence inflicted on them by their spouse or intimate partner. Physically their bodies are bruised and emotionally they become unstable. To make matters worse, many of those in marriage get infected with diseases such as Sexual Transmitted Infections mainly HIV/AIDS. Most women are not to blame but their abusive relationships or unfaithful partners.

Our presence at FAO has developed on two different levels:

1. By participating to the life of FORUM on Catholic inspired NGOs
2. As member of Ad Hoc Group (AhG)which gathers most of the NGOs  acknowledged by the FAO.

The work in AhG is mostly related to the main themes which are dealt at FAO and the possible contribution we can offer.

 Mary and the Church are a Mother

Dear friends,on January 1 we celebrate the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Both Mary and the Church conceive and give birth at Christmas, by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Through participation in the motherhood of the Blessed Virgin and of the Church, women who belong to a member organisation, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, are giving birth to a new period in the history of WUCWO.

But... how to give birth today? By applying the message of Pope Francis for the 2019 World Day of Peace. The Holy Father tells us that political responsibility does not only belong to the ones who govern, but also to each citizen.

Dear friends, our political commitment - which is one of the highest expressions of charity - should lead us to concern ourselves with the future of human life and the planet: with women and their children in gestation, with the youngest and most vulnerable members in the family.

I would like this to be part of our spirituality, of our daily prayer and of our commitment to action, just like the Holy Spirit inspired us in our resolutions of the General Assembly in Senegal.

And may the Word, which became flesh, dwell among us! May you have a Happy and Holy Year!

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 52nd WORLD DAY OF PEACE

President General participated in the International Congress organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and Gregorian University on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, held on 10 and 11 December. Below you will find the link to the opening conference given by the Prefect of the Dicastery, H.E. Cardinal Peter K. Appiah Turkson.

Cardinal Turkson: Marking 70th Anniversary of Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man

Dear Pope Francis,

today we, the women of WUCWO (World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations), pray in a special way for you and wish you a very happy and holy birthday!

This message for the month of December 2018 contains three points: to make the exhortation of Pope Francis on this first Sunday of Advent our own, to offer a word to the young women, and to give thanks.

Below you will find the texts corresponding to the Homilies given by our Ecclesiastical Assistant, Father Gerard Whelan, during the General Assembly. We hope they will be a source of inspiration for a deep spiritual work, both personal and community.

Homily October 17, 2018

Homily October 18, 2018

Homily October 19, 2018

Homily October 20, 2018

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, WUCWO joined with this statement all International Organizations that work tirelessly for the elimination of violence against women.

Statement:

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, established in 1999 by the United Nations Assembly, reminds every 25 November the unavoidable commitment for all, public and private institutions, associations and movements to continue in every context the reflection and awareness to defeat the rampant and very deplorable phenomenon of violence against women.

On this day, we all say, civil society, institutions and associations, STOP VIOLENCE ON WOMEN, with demonstrations, debates and conferences. But it is not enough. We need a strong ethical movement to break the subculture of "possession"; we need to break the silence, we need that women do not underestimate and do not hide the first signs of danger to avoid the "crescendo" that leads to irreparable acts.

On the occasion of the anniversary of 25 November, our associations and organisations, always attentive to children and women, advocate investing more attention and energy in the prevention of all phenomena of violence, including those that are generated and carried out in the family and that also affect children, often direct and passive victims of this same violence.

Only an education in the respect for the person and a capillary work against every stereotype, together with a clear and strong institutional policy against violence, can help our society to progress in humanity. It is a question of resuming a broad cultural work on the value of the human person, especially where it is weakest; it is necessary to resume, with a contemporary vision, the project of promotion and spiritual, social and political growth of women.

Throughout history, women have fought for equal dignity and equal rights as men, their fellow human beings. Despite having achieved significant results in terms of democratic participation and equal opportunities, even today, unfortunately, acts of violence are still perpetrated every day and there are still many forms of discrimination (work, social life, politics), prejudices and stereotypes. We therefore believe it is necessary and urgent, on the one hand, to take up, with real commitment, educational programmes for non-violence and respect for the other and, on the other, to provide adequate family support and innovative legislative and social policy instruments that contribute to a better harmonisation between family life and the personal and working life of women.

Our Associations and organizations are committed to strengthening networking with all stakeholders at the local level, aware that the more intense and common will be the sense of responsibility, the greater will be the effectiveness to break down and eliminate the social scourge of violence against women.

In memory of all the women who are victims of violence, war and poverty, of women forced to flee their countries, of women who have died with their children, of women who are victims of trafficking, our Associations and organisations committed to the social, civil and cultural promotion of women everywhere, starting with the family, call on the institutions responsible to put all the rules to combat violence against women into practice.

We also hope that more and more in the life of the Country and in the Church, we can promote the presence of women as desired by Pope Francis: "there is still we need to create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church. Because «the feminine genius is needed in all expressions in the life of society, the presence of women must also be guaranteed in the workplace» and in the various other settings where important decisions are made, both in the Church and in social structures" (EG 103).

WUCWO (World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations)

ACLI (Associazioni Cristiane Lavoratori Italiani)

Azione Cattolica Italiana

Centro Italiano Femminile

API-COLF (Associazione Professionale Italiana Collaboratori Familiari)

Confederazione Italiana dei Consultori Familiari di Ispirazione Cristiana

Coordinamento nazionale donne CISL

Fondazione Beato Federico Ozanam - San Vincenzo De Pauli 

Below, you will find the material for each conference of the Study Days. We thank all the speakers for their dedication and rich contributions.

Enjoy them!

Video Dr. Anne T. Gallagher: Family and Migration

Conference of Dr. Linda Ghisoni: WUCWO Women carriers of "living water" in the light of Evangelii Gaudium and Amoris Laetitia

Conference of Dr. Maria Teresa Compte: Laudato Si. Women carriers of "living water"

Conference of Dr. Donna Orsuto: Gaudete et Exsultate  -  PowerPoint Dr. Donna Orsuto

Conference of Dr. Isabel Recavarren: A world thirsting for peace

Conference of Sister Therese Samake: What is happening to our common house? - PowerPoint Sister Therese Samake

Dear friends,

let me introduce you to my vision of WUCWO and then to its structure and functioning.

Each person, each living being and each organisation, if it does not grow, diminishes little by little and finally dies. And Jesus told us: "You shall know them by their fruits" (Mt 7:16).

Read below the Final Declaration made by our General Vice President, Maribeth Stewart Blogoslawski, on the last day of our General Assembly in Senegal.