On 1 December 2023, a significant event to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was held at the evocative Villa Bonaparte in Rome, home of the French Embassy to the Holy See.

The initiative, promoted by H.E. Madame Florence Mangin, Ambassador of France to the Holy See, and H.E. Madame Annemieke Ruigrok, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Holy See, in collaboration with the World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations (WUCWO), gave voice to several female ambassadors to the Holy See and institutional representatives who presented measures and interventions adopted in their countries to inform, raise awareness and above all combat gender-based violence.

      Photo: Periódico El Debate - Jorge Ruiz

Mónica Santamarina in El Debate: Driving the Participation of Catholic Women in the Church and Society. 

Mónica Santamarina, interviewed in November in El Debate, offers a detailed vision of the work of WUCWO and explains her perspective on the role of women in the Church.

Santamarina, recently elected as President, sets priorities for the next four years, including the consolidation of the World Women’s Observatory, the work on the side of the Synod to promote the participation of women and the attention to issues such as migrants, refugee women, religious freedom, hunger and food shortage, as well as ecological conversion.

The "Women's Cry" photographic exhibition, curated by Lia Beltrami in collaboration with the World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations (WUCWO) through its World Women's Observatory (WWO), has landed in New York during the United Nations General Assembly's 78th session. This powerful exhibition, initially displayed in St. Peter's Square last May with the collaboration of the Vatican's Dicastery for Communication, is a testament to the resilience of women in remote areas and conflict-ridden countries.

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