By Matters India Reporter

Mumbai, March 7, 2020: Mumbai has been chosen as one of the locations to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8 for the event organized by the Catholic Women’s Council (CWC) demanding “equality” and “dignity” in the church.

In India, the event will take place at the Holy Name Cathedral in Mumbai March 8.

Satyashokok (Truth-seekers), Mumbai and Indian Women Theological Forum are the local organizers.

CWC is a coalition of women’s associations, initiatives, women’s religious orders and church bodies.

“Catholic women speak with many voices but share the same vision. In as many places in the world as possible, there are pilgrimages to central church locations followed by worship services,” said a note from organizers.

More than 27 locations and counting…together Catholic women across the globe unite in solidarity on International Women’s Day 2020 and take responsibility for their future.

Catholic women are invited to participate by creating space for themselves because nothing will change in the Church unless women move together in one voice.

According to the organizers, Catholic women and nuns are expected to join on International Women’s Day in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Australia, India, Austria, Spain, Kenya, USA, South Africa, United Kingdom, Pakistan, Ireland, Luxemburg, Croatia, Austria, Canada and the Philippines where local Catholic women and reform groups will gather outside their churches to send a message that equality in the Church must start now.

Catholic women are taking responsibility and no longer asking for their future. On this International Women’s Day, they wish to communicate with the theme “We are the change.”

Participants would hold “candles as a symbol for the departure and the light we want to spread amid the darkness of the current Catholic Church, and to be light in the world.”

The CWC was first formed in Stuttgart in November 2019, when Catholic women’s associations, initiatives, women’s religious orders and church bodies from Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and Switzerland came together to network on a united position of women in the Church for the very first time.

In January 2020, this network became global as an umbrella group.