A growing network of Catholic sisters in Samburu is introducing an alternative initiation ceremony that is slowly reducing female genital cutting in one of the country's most resistant regions.
"When we empower a young mother, she's able to protect herself from abuse, care for her children and hopefully break the cycle of poverty," Sr. Lucy Kanjira said.
Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, representatives and activists — including Catholic sisters — assessed the progress and shortcomings of the U.N.'s goals for 2030.
A doctoral candidate and researcher studying victims abused by clergy in adulthood, shares her experience at a recent conference in Germany on the subject.
Behind Mombasa, Kenya's luxury beach resorts, child sex tourism casts a dark shadow. But Catholic sisters on the ground are working to end it, restoring the dignity of one girl at a time.
Navjyoti Centre, established in 2000 by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, offers legal support for domestic violence survivors and assists them in filing legal charges against the abuser and seeking compensation.
Moved by the cruel treatment faced by many widows in Ghana, Mary Immaculate Sr. Gabriel Nonaah started St. Monica Widows Association to provide these vulnerable women with empowerment, education and self-reliance.
"We are still missing something essential if we cannot name and confront the systemic nature of abuse within our Catholic Church," writes Sr. Yolanda Olivera for the Global Sisters Report series "Out of the Shadows."
Spain's Conference of Religious seeks to reconcile with survivors of the Patronato de Proteccion a la Mujer. But the women refuse, prompting a reflection on the nature of forgiveness.
