On the 24th of September 2023, the 109th World Day of Migrants and Refugees (WDMR) will be celebrated and promoted by Pope Francis and the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

This year, the theme chosen by the Holy Father for this important day is “free to choose whether to migrate or to stay” that makes us reflect on the fundamental right for individuals to decide for themselves whether or not to leave their homeland.

Breaking Barriers: Study Reveals the State of Discrimination and Participation of Latin American and Caribbean Women in the Church and Society. 

In an effort to address discrimination and promote equal opportunities for women in Latin America and the Caribbean, the World Women's Observatory (WWO) of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO) and the Socio-Anthropological Pastoral Observatory of the Knowledge Management Center of the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM) have presented the results of the study "Discrimination and Participation of Latin American and Caribbean Women: A Look from and towards Our Church."

Filmmaker and Art Director Lia Beltrami Presented the "Women's Cry" Project at the "Women Deliver" 2023 International Conference

Kigali, Rwanda - The prestigious "Women Deliver" 2023 International Conference has become a reference point of empowerment and advocacy, attracting over 6,000 women from all corners of the world.

As the conference convened in Kigali, Rwanda, from 17th to 20th July 2023, the focus was firmly set on championing women's rights and sustainable development.

The new President General of WUCWO is the Mexican Monica Santamarina. 

 Assisi, 20 May 2023 - The General Assembly of WUCWO has just ended in Assisi after a week of intense debate and discussion. The central theme was "WUCWO women, artisans of human fraternity for world peace".

 The event brought together representatives from all over the world with the aim of addressing global challenges and analysing the fundamental role of women in promoting peace.

Over 67 organisations from different parts of the globe attended the Assembly, with a total of 832 participants from 38 countries on all continents.

For the first time Pope Francis met with representatives of all the women of the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO).

On Saturday 13 May, the women of theWUCWO met with the Holy Father in a Private Audience, primarily to receive a missionary mandate from the Holy Father on the synodal journey of the Church.

Pope Francis had promised this audience last year, when the Executive Committee of the body had presented the report of the World Women’s Observatory (WWO) on "the impact of Covid-19 on women in Latin America and the Caribbean". On that occasion, Pope Francis had encouraged WUCWO to advance its mission, particularly on the African continent.

Thanking Pope Francis for his 10 years of pontificate

Photograph courtesy of Don MacKinnon 

From 7 to 10 October 2022, under the title “Women Builders of Peace in a Church which Goes Forth” WUCWO organised the third meeting with Women from the Middle East and the Mediterranean, in order to make known the reality of women in this Region and the work that some organisations are doing. More than 120 women from 33 countries participated.

On Sunday, July 24, 2022, the Second World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly will be celebrated throughout the universal Church. The theme chosen by the Holy Father for the occasion is "In old age they will still bear fruit" (Psalm 92:15) and intends to emphasize how grandparents and the elderly are a value and a gift both for society and for ecclesial communities.

WUCWO's participation at the Group of International NGOs to FAO in Rome.