St Barnabas Catholic Women’s Council in Ghana hosted Conference of Peace

By Honono Noluthando

The Women Council (WC) was inaugurated on the 11th of March 2018 at the St. Barnabas Catholic Church, in Ghana. All female youth eighteen years and above fall under the umbrella of the Women Council and are expected to respond to calls. The Women Development Committee (WDC) was an innovative strategic body put together earlier in 2012, to support the spiritual and physical development needs of women, families and communities within the parish. The WC and the WDC have recently merged as Women Council (WC) in order to be more effective in promoting better and more holistic development of women in and around St Barnabas and its environs. The council was established with the following objectives:

1. Promoting Unity Among Women: One of the primary goals of the conference was to foster unity among women within the Catholic community. This unity can be essential for building a strong and supportive network.

2. Building Participation: Encouraging women to actively participate in the activities and initiatives of the Catholic Women's Council is vital for its growth and effectiveness. The conference aimed to encourage women joining societies and groups that are aimed at aiding the other objectives of the conference, creating a space for women to make contributions to the church and her development.

3. Promoting Spiritual Formation: Spiritual growth and formation are fundamental aspects of the Catholic faith.

4. Supporting Program Creation and Implementation: To further their mission and objectives, the Council may have sought to generate new programs and initiatives. The conference could have provided a platform for brainstorming and planning these programs.

5. Empowering Women: Empowering women to take on leadership roles, advocate for important issues, and serve as role models through promoting the moral, social, educational, and economic development of all women in the church.

In line with these objectives, St. Barnabas Catholic Women's Council hosted a conference with the theme "How beautiful are the feet of women who carry good messages." This was accompanied by 2 subthemes, namely: “the beautiful feet of Abigail that chose peace” and “The beautiful feet of Mary Magdalene that preached the Gospel of peace.” The conference took place on August 5th, 2023. This theme reflects the importance of women in sharing positive and meaningful messages, emphasizing their role in community and spiritual life.

The takeaway of the conference was empowering women to understand that they can stand firmly against violence in the homes, workplaces and communities through looking at the examples of powerful women in the bible. The conference hosted a total of 180 delegates with promise to grow Council presence in parishes that were not represented in the conference. It was also decided that the conference would be made an annual event.