Jenny Cafiso, Executive Director, Canadian Jesuits International

by Jenny Cafiso

It is often said that poverty, exclusion, and oppression have a female face. I don’t need to be convinced of this. I have seen much evidence of this reality in my visits to the many communities that our Jesuit partners work with and that CJI supports in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Women and children were by far the majority of the population in the refugee camps that I have visited.  In the tea estates, I have met many girls who do not go to school. Illiteracy rates are much higher among women. I have seen women doing the most menial and lowest-paying jobs breaking rocks, or collecting minerals discarded by miners.

What I have witnessed is borne out by all the evidence and studies made on the status of women. Despite some progress, women still face barriers in many areas, including education, employment, political participation, and access to digital technology. The COVID-19 pandemic, global conflicts, and economic downturns have exacerbated disparities.

Yet women are at the forefront of the struggle for life and survival for themselves, their families and their communities. Our Jesuit partners in Africa, Asia, and Latin America not only have a deep, firsthand understanding of the challenges facing women and girls, but also of their strength and their role in building a just world. Meche Solis, of the Indigenous Solidarity and Apostolate Network, highlights Indigenous women’s fight in Latin America and the Caribbean to protect their land, culture, and future from extractive industries. She recalls their words at a meeting of Indigenous women held in Peru organized by the Jesuits of Latin America in 2024: “The cry of an Indigenous woman is the cry of Mother Earth.”  The women spoke up “not only for themselves but also for the land, the water, and the future of humanity,” she adds. Mary Nelys, a socio-environmental analyst at SARES, a Jesuit NGO in Brazil that is part of a network of Jesuit social centers in Latin America, observes that women “stand firm, forging paths of justice and dignity for all.”

At Canadian Jesuits International, we believe that gender equality and the empowerment of women are key to achieving justice, peace, and prosperity for all.  This commitment is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, which upholds the dignity and rights of every person. It is also fundamental to the defense of what Pope Francis calls our Common Home, as stated in his encyclical, Laudato Si.

The articles in this issue show how our Jesuit partners are responding to these challenges, and how women in many marginalized communities continue to fight for their rights and those of their families and communities, At this critical time in history, we must unite to advocate for policies that protect women’s rights.

The pursuit of social justice, respect, and equality are difficult struggles—but they are essential for building a better, dignified world for all.