KAMPALA – A Catholic women’s leadership organization, which aims at encouraging and training young women in leadership roles in the church and society, officially launched.
Rev John Baptist Odama, the chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, the assembly of the Catholic Bishops in the country launched the council at Hotel Africana in Kampala on Tuesday.
The organization is not a brand new idea but rather, something that grew out of a 2016 leadership conference sponsored by the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious called the GIVEN Catholic Young Women’s Leadership Forum.
“We, the Catholic Bishops of Uganda highly value this organisation. It is a treasure to the human family,” Archbishop Odama said adding that there is no family without a woman.
“A woman takes the primary role in the growth of humanity. Even when someone is dying, it is their mother that they call,” he added also them (women) to promote the Christian values of love, reconciliation, unity, respect, and piety as they ran their campaign for peaceful families.
The function was graced by the Catholic Bishops of Uganda. Development partners from international organisations including Irish Aid, the Danish Embassy and Centenary Bank.
Others include the president of the Uganda National Council of Catholic Laity, Chairperson of the Catholic Parliamentarians including the leader of the opposition, Hon Betty Aol Ochan.
The elected leaders include the Chairperson, Mary Assumpta Gidudu (from Lugazi Diocese), Sarah Apadet Okumu (Vice-Chair, from Tororo Archdiocese), Gorette Kugonza (Secretary, Fort Portal Diocese), and Dorothy Balojja (Vice-Secretary, Masaka Diocese).
Others are Irene Labwot (treasurer, Gulu Archdiocese), Sophie Mbonigaba (Kabale Diocese, Mbarara Ecclesiastical province), Harriet Mulumba (Kiyinda-Mityana Diocese, Kampala Ecclesiastical Province), and Sarah Akello (Kotido Diocese).
Ms Anne Lumumba of Gulu Ecclesiastical Province is also part of the women leadership committee.
