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Conversation
This session explored Out of the Shadows, Global Sisters Report’s series on violence against women, with insights from:
-Chris Herlinger, Global Sisters Report’s international correspondent, who covered the stories
-Sister Irene O’Neill, founder and president of Sisters Rising Worldwide
-Sr Ethel Munsaka, Sisters of the Holy Cross
-Rosa Siamachoka, Talitha Kum Zambia (TAKUZA) Programs Officer
Our panel discussed how Sisters are leading courageous, community-based responses to human trafficking and gender-based violence.
Soli Salgado, Global Sisters Report editor, facilitated the session.
Partnering Organizations:
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Global Sisters Report: An independent, nonprofit source of news and information about Catholic sisters and the critical issues facing the people they serve. Our network of journalists report about their lives and works, and sisters write commentary from their perspective.
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Sisters Rising Worldwide: To connect and support Catholic Sisters addressing the root causes of injustice, empowering them through storytelling and resources to create lasting change.
Resources
- Sisters Rising Worldwide
Note to sisters: Go to the bottom of the page and click "Are you a Sister" to join the PeaceRoom. - GSR's Out of the Shadows series
- TAKUZA
- Pax in Familia
Presenters
- Chris Herlinger is the international correspondent for Global Sisters Report. He just returned from a reporting trip to Ukraine with photojournalist Gregg Brekke. Chris also went to Poland and Ukraine in November, and to Poland just weeks after the war began last year, to report about refugees and how sisters were assisting them.
- Sister Irene O’Neill, CSJ, Ed.D, is the founder and president of Sisters Rising Worldwide, a global nonprofit connecting 650,000 Sisters through its innovative PeaceRoom platform to the resources they need to help the world flourish. Drawing from her decades of experience in education and nonprofit leadership, Sister Irene envisioned the PeaceRoom to foster global collaboration among Sisters addressing the root causes of poverty. Through this work, she ensures the Sisters’ efforts are supported, their strategies shared, and their impact amplified. Under her leadership, SRW has supported 140+ Sister-led programs addressing poverty, human trafficking, and violence across 49 countries, impacting more than 340,000 vulnerable lives. Sister Irene holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and resides in St. Paul, Minnesota.
- Sr Ethel Munsaka, Sisters of the Holy Cross, is the Youth Ambassador Coordinator in Zambia with experience in leading youth-led awareness initiatives on human trafficking and child safeguarding. Her work has focused on engaging schools, communities, and media platforms to promote child protection, safe migration, and awareness of exploitation risks.
- Rosa Siamachoka, Talitha Kum Zambia (TAKUZA) Programs Officer, is a programme officer working in the area of human trafficking prevention and awareness. Her work focuses on public education, youth engagement and supporting community-based initiatives aimed at protecting vulnerable populations and promoting safe migration.