Bring the voice of Catholic women

to international forums

Our international mission aims to ensure that the voices of Catholic women are heard wherever decisions affecting society, families, and communities are made.

Through our international advocacy work in collaboration with other Catholic organisations and Holy See Permanent Observers, we promote human dignity, women’s rights and participation, the protection of families, peacebuilding, integral human development, and the values of the Gospel and the Social Doctrine of the Church.

WUCWO currently holds Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York, the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Rome. It also holds Participatory Status with the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and is an official partner of UNESCO in Paris.

WUCWO emerged more than 100 years ago, from the conviction that Catholic women should work together across borders and contribute actively to shaping a more just, peaceful, and Christian society. As early as the 1920s and 1930s, WUCWO representatives were already engaging with international institutions, including the League of Nations in Geneva, advocating on issues such as peace, the protection of women and children, education, and social justice.