Across continents, women face a complex web of challenges that limit their opportunities and well-being. Gender-based violence, limited access to education, and economic exclusion continue to shape daily life for millions. Many cultural systems further restrict women’s autonomy and voice, while poverty also deepens their vulnerability. Together, these forces can trap women in cycles of dependency and marginalization. And the impact reaches far beyond individuals, affecting families, communities and future generations.
In response to these realities, Holy Cross sisters have made women’s empowerment a longstanding priority. Through advocacy, skills training and fostering community, they support women in forging new paths for themselves marked by dignity, resilience and hope.
Fostering growth and opportunity
In Koch Goma, Uganda, Sister Janet Nantumbwe, CSC, sees empowerment through opportunity. At Holy Cross Vocational Training Institute, she helps equip young mothers and school dropouts with skills in tailoring, embroidery, knitting and computer literacy. These skills assist women in earning a sustainable income and open doors to financial independence. “As Sisters of the Holy Cross, we are called to respond to needs,” Sister Janet says. “And in Koch Goma, the need was helping these young girls.”
Graduates of the institute go on to find employment in nearby cities or start their own businesses. “After here, they go back to their homes and earn a living, especially to support themselves and their young children,” says Sister Janet.
Holy Cross sisters remain steadfast in their commitment to walk alongside women — listening, supporting and advocating for justice.
Sister Cynthia Godia Bienaan, CSC, speaks to the broader impact of her similar skills training ministry for women in Kasoa, Ghana. “If we are not able to support them that way, then the cycle continues. Children will grow up with no education, no skills learned, and they will become dependent on other people as well. … We empower them so that they can take care of their families better and so that their children will grow up with that same empowerment.”
Sister Cynthia also works with Sister Renatta Jutta Essien, CSC. Together, they found that many women in their community are undereducated, single parents or widowed. In this cultural context, these women are often left economically vulnerable and socially isolated. Recognizing these challenges, the sisters decided to gather these women for monthly conversations.
“The first motive was to create a space where these women could come together, bond, share their stories, and confide in one another,” says Sister Cynthia. The goal of gathering these women, she adds, was so that they could “provide emotional, psychological, social and spiritual support for one another.”
As trust grew, so did the personal transformation—the most profound coming through meaningful connection.
“What has inspired me the most about working together with these women is the kind of bond they’ve been able to form and the relationships they’ve built among themselves,” Sister Cynthia reflects. Women who once felt undervalued or silenced began to speak freely through conversation, connection and creativity. And while efforts like these create new possibilities, it is the spirit in which the sisters accompany women that deepens and sustains those changes.
Holding space for transformation
Approached with what Sister M. Madeleva (Wolff), CSC, called a “relaxed grasp,” Holy Cross sisters support women while allowing them to find their own paths. Rather than positioning themselves as the source of change, the sisters recognize that transformation comes from within the women themselves. That is why when a woman learns a trade, completes her education, or achieves greater independence, the sisters celebrate—and gently step back. Their goal is not to be needed forever, but to assist individuals and communities in standing firmly on their own.
In Peru, Sister Patricia A. Dieringer, CSC, has witnessed how steady, compassionate presence can transform lives. Working with women who have faced rejection, abuse and human trafficking, she emphasizes the importance of relationship. “A relationship that says, ‘You are worth something, and God loves you,’ repeated again and again—becomes ingrained,” she explains. “Slowly, these women realize and take on their own value.”
As trust grew, so did the personal transformation — the most profound coming through meaningful connection.
Walking with Women
Sister Juliana shares about the realities women face, the sisters’ response and the hope that grows through action.
And in Brazil, Sister Juliana Santos Sousa, CSC, sees this same transformation unfolding in the women she serves. “We see changes in women being capable of undertaking and having their own business … being able to speak out and to have their own voices be heard in this world.”
Walking forward together
The work of empowering women is ongoing, calling for sustained presence and care. And Holy Cross sisters remain steadfast in their commitment to walk alongside them—listening, supporting and advocating for justice.
“We live in a patriarchal society, and we all, men and women, can do something to change this reality of gender inequality, violence and abuses,” says Sister Juliana. “We can start with ourselves and look at how we see women’s roles in this world. We need to look at our communities and see how women have been treated. Following the example of Jesus Christ, our brother and our teacher, we can all do something.”