“Where politics sees an enemy, faith sees a neighbour.”
Rome, March 5, 2026 – On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2026, the World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations (WUCWO), in collaboration with the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, held the virtual ecumenical and interreligious meeting “Women of Faith: Bearers of Peace and Hope,” with the participation of more than 250 people and six women leaders representing the major religious traditions.
The panellists shared reflections on the role of women in promoting peace, dialogue, and interreligious cooperation in contexts marked by social challenges: Ms. Dunya Elemenler, Islamic perspective; Dr. Samya Charika Marasinghe, Buddhist perspective; Svamini Shuddhananda Ghiri, Hindu perspective; Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff, Jewish perspective; Dr. Stephanie Wong, Catholic perspective; and Ms. Carla Khijoyan, ecumenical perspective.
The meeting was opened by Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, and by Mónica Santamarina, President General of WUCWO.
Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad emphasised that “disarmament begins in the human heart. Women of faith understand this intuitively: peace is sustained not only by treaties, but by the daily work of healing memories, restoring dignity, and resisting the logic of fear. In a world where we often find ourselves at the crossroads between conflict and reconciliation, we are invited to choose the path of encounter, compassion, and truth. Peace is not passive; it is an active, courageous, and sometimes costly commitment that requires dialogue, solidarity, and the protection of human dignity.”
The President General of WUCWO, Mónica Santamarina, noted that as women of faith and active participants in the world, “peace is not a word nor a vague wish. It is a concrete mission, an act of love that we must carry out every day and in every sphere. We are called to build bridges, educate for peace, promote interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, care for creation, defend life and the dignity of every person, and especially protect the most vulnerable. Our service, often silent but persistent and courageous, is already a concrete way of building that disarmed and disarming peace of which Pope Leo speaks.”
Among the panellists, Ms. Carla Khijoyan expressed her hope for “a world in which women prime ministers and women of faith contribute to shaping the destiny of our societies; a world in which leadership is measured not only by power, but by wisdom; not only by strength, but by compassion; and not only by strategy, but by conscience.”
For her part, Rabbi Allyson Zacharoff emphasised: “All human beings are made in the image of God; we are invited to overcome our own limits in order to encounter others, going beyond stereotypes and prejudices. Faith and dialogue can be bridges between people.”
Since 2019, WUCWO has celebrated International Women’s Day in an ecumenical and interreligious way through a path of dialogue with women leaders from different religious traditions. Since 2020, this initiative has been carried out in collaboration with the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, strengthening this path of dialogue and reflection. Each year, the meeting addresses a different theme. The aim has been to offer an interreligious perspective based on the experiences of women leaders from Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, ecumenical, and Catholic communities.
In situations of conflict, women and children are usually those who suffer most intensely from the consequences of violence. How can we work and prepare a path toward peace in our world? Being bearers of hope is one of the first steps, through small but concrete actions as women. In this process, the shared responsibility and leadership of each woman, from her own reality, culture, faith, and mission, can contribute to the relationships of hope and peace that the world needs today.
WUCWO Communication Office
