In honor of International Women's Day, Caritas Internationalis launched a booklet dedicated to initiatives for empowering women and testimonies of women around the world.
And one of those stories is Sr. Regina, who was the first woman to be elected to the role of Caritas coordinator for the zone that covers much of Western Africa.
SR. REGINA IGNATIA AFLAH
It's a great achievement for the region to have a woman.
That position is for national directors and in the zone, most of the directors are priests. Most of the directors are priests, so unless we get a woman who is a national director, then it will be difficult.
Caritas' booklet is entitled Equality, Encounter, Renewal. Its purpose is to raise awareness for the importance of having women in leadership roles, recognizing the existence of discrimination and injustice and overcoming these barriers.
SR. REGINA IGNATIA AFLAH
It is true that there is a lot of discrimination. There is a lot of humiliation and intimidating all over as far as women leadership is concerned. But I think that with the call from the Holy Father to include women in whatever we do, there is a possibility that that will change in the future. And also with what we just did here launching this book, which I am very sure that it will go around the whole [Caritas] confederation. It will also help to address some of these issues.
Pope Francis even expressed his support for Caritas' initiatives dedicated to women.
Sr. Regina says she believes there is hope to see more women in leadership roles.
SR. REGINA IGNATIA AFLAH
For even the Africa region, for me to be elected as the first woman was a big step. Not only that, the regional coordinator of Caritas Africa is a woman and it was a big thing for us. So I know that gradually, we will be able to address this. It will not be easy, but at least we will be able to address this.
Last year, Caritas regional leaders from the Middle East and North Africa signed a commitment to make changes to give more space to women in leadership—it was their first step to making widespread change and eliminating gender discrimination both within and outside of the organization.
KG
