Taiwan and WUCWO launch digital empowerment project for women leaders in Africa

The World Union of Catholic Women's Organisations and Taiwan unveiled a new digital empowerment initiative in Rome on August 18, 2026, aimed at women leaders and Catholic networks in five African countries. The project will provide laptops, training, mentoring, and technical support to expand digital access, strengthen advocacy, and improve community outreach.

Why it matters: - The project is designed to strengthen women leaders in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana with the tools to organize, communicate, and advocate more effectively. - The initiative ties digital access to broader goals including action against gender-based violence, girls’ education, and stronger Catholic networks. - The partnership reflects a faith-based model of development that links technology, human dignity, and local leadership.

What happened: - The Government of the R.O.C. (Taiwan) formally presented support for the “Digital Empowerment for Women Leaders and Catholic Networks in Africa” project at WUCWO headquarters in Rome on August 18, 2026. - The project includes 15 laptops, digital training for 50 local focal points, mentoring, a shared communication platform, and ongoing technical support. - The launch was held in hybrid format with participants joining from Mexico, Somaliland, Nigeria, South Africa, and the five beneficiary countries. - Ambassador Anthony Chung-Yi Ho to the Holy See presented the donation on behalf of Taiwan. - WUCWO Secretary General Lavinia Rocchi Carrera coordinated the ceremony. - WUCWO President General Mónica Santamarina joined by video from Mexico, along with Taiwan’s diplomatic representatives in Somaliland, Nigeria, and South Africa and focal points from the five African countries.

The details: - WUCWO has worked for more than 115 years and represents about 8 million women across 56 countries. - The organization was recognized by the Holy See in 2007 as a Public International Association of the Faithful. - WUCWO holds consultative status with the United Nations through ECOSOC, the Human Rights Council, and FAO, participatory status with the Council of Europe, and official membership in UNESCO. - In 2023, WUCWO’s World Women’s Observatory listened to more than 10,500 women in 37 African countries as part of its first Africa project on violence against women. - Santamarina said the project grows out of years of listening to African communities and their experiences of violence and discrimination. - Ho said the project’s value goes beyond equipment and lies in the lives it will transform. - Ho connected the initiative to Pope Leo XIV’s view that technological progress must serve the human person and the common good. - Ho framed Taiwan’s approach around human dignity, solidarity, service, and digital inclusion as a path to sustainable development. - Ho also linked the effort to President Lai Ching-te’s value-based diplomacy and Foreign Minister Lin Chia-Lung’s Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. - Lucy Joceylin Vokhiwa, a WUCWO board member from Malawi, said the computers and training will improve communication, reporting, and network-building across Africa. - Sister Teresa Mulenga of Malawi said the tools will support data collection, analysis, and outreach to policymakers. - Evaline Ntenga, WUCWO vice president for Africa and president of WAWATA in Tanzania, said the World Women’s Observatory gives women a platform to share experiences that can shape advocacy and practical action.

Between the lines: - The partnership shows how Taiwan is using small-scale, targeted cooperation to build diplomatic and moral influence through institutions tied to the Holy See. - WUCWO is pairing its social mission with digital infrastructure, signaling that grassroots advocacy now depends on basic technology as much as personal networks. - The repeated emphasis on women’s leadership suggests the project is meant to strengthen not only access to devices, but also the credibility of women’s voices in church and civic life.

What's next: - WUCWO and Taiwan will move into implementation with laptops, training, mentoring, and shared communication tools for the 50 focal points. - Ongoing technical support is expected to help the network sustain reporting, coordination, and advocacy across the five countries. - The project is likely to serve as a test case for whether digital inclusion can expand faith-based women’s organizing at regional scale.

The bottom line: - Taiwan and WUCWO are betting that digital tools can translate into stronger leadership, better data, and broader social impact for women across Africa.