Taiwan backs digital empowerment project for Catholic women leaders in Africa

Rome — The World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO) has launched a new digital empowerment initiative for women leaders and Catholic networks across Africa, with support from the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

The project, officially presented at WUCWO’s headquarters in Rome, will provide 15 computers per country, digital training for 50 local representatives, mentoring, a shared communications platform and ongoing technical support. The programme will initially benefit Catholic women’s networks in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Ghana.

The launch was held in a hybrid format, bringing together participants from Mexico, Somaliland, Nigeria, South Africa and the five beneficiary countries. The broad participation reflected the international scope of the new partnership.

Presenting Taiwan’s contribution, Ambassador Anthony Chung-Yi Ho, Representative of the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Holy See, said the initiative was intended to go beyond the provision of equipment and strengthen the ability of women leaders to serve their communities.

“The true value of this project goes far beyond the equipment we provide. It lies in the lives that will be transformed,” Ho said. He added that strengthening women’s digital capacity would help them address gender based violence, promote girls’ education, reinforce Catholic networks and support their communities more effectively.

Ho also linked the initiative to Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on ensuring that technological progress, including artificial intelligence, remains centred on human dignity and the common good.

“Technology must always serve the human person,” he said, stressing that innovation should bring people closer together through “greater compassion, justice and hope”.

WUCWO, which has more than 115 years of history, brings together Catholic women’s organisations around the world. Recognised by the Holy See as an International Public Association of the Faithful in 2007, it has consultative status with the United Nations and participatory status with the Council of Europe, while also holding official membership of UNESCO. The organisation represents around eight million women in more than 56 countries.

Its Global Women’s Observatory has played an important role in documenting the experiences of women across Africa. In 2023, during its first major African project on violence against women, the Observatory gathered testimony from more than 10,500 women in 37 African countries.

WUCWO President General Mónica Santamarina said the new project was the result of years of listening to women and accompanying communities across the continent.

“Through the Global Women’s Observatory, we have listened to the voices of thousands of African communities,” Santamarina said. “These voices have given us a deeper understanding of the many forms of violence and discrimination women continue to face, as well as the extraordinary leadership, resilience and commitment of women working every day for dignity, justice and peace.”

She described the initiative as an expression of WUCWO’s commitment to women’s leadership and social transformation, saying she hoped the launch would mark the beginning of a lasting alliance.

For women working directly in the beneficiary countries, the digital tools are expected to have a practical impact on communication, data collection and advocacy.

Lucy Joceylin Vokhiwa, a member of WUCWO’s council for Malawi and former national president of the Catholic Women’s Association of Malawi, said the computers and training would allow women to communicate more regularly, document their experiences and strengthen connections across Africa.

The technology will also help local organisations collect and analyse evidence that can be used to influence public policy.

“We need evidence,” said Sister Teresa Mulenga, a Teresian Sister of the Child Jesus from the Archdiocese of Lilongwe and a WUCWO representative. “To speak about evidence requires significant collection, analysis and application of data, which is only possible with the tools that will be provided.”

Evaline Ntenga, WUCWO’s vice president for Africa and president of WAWATA in Tanzania, said the Global Women’s Observatory provided a platform where women from different communities could share their experiences, helping to inform advocacy, policymaking and practical interventions.

The initiative forms part of Taiwan’s broader approach to international cooperation under the “Taiwan Can Help” framework. Ho said Taiwan viewed digital inclusion as an essential pathway towards sustainable development, with an emphasis on building partnerships that enable local communities to create lasting change.

The ceremony concluded with participants from Rome, Mexico and different parts of Africa joining in a symbolic toast to the new partnership.

“Today we celebrate new opportunities: the opportunity to learn, connect, share, make our voices heard and reach further,” said WUCWO Secretary General Lavinia Rocchi Carrera, who coordinated the Rome ceremony. “This is where a new chapter begins, one that certainly fills us with hope.”

For WUCWO and its partners, the initiative represents an effort to place digital technology at the service of women’s leadership, giving Catholic networks across Africa greater capacity to connect communities, document challenges and advocate for change.

PS