Women and Children
As members of the Loreto network we are proud of a tradition that has empowered millions of girls through the transformative impact of education across more than 400 years. It is important to acknowledge, however, that the human rights of girls and women continue to be violated or ignored in so many parts of our world. The Loreto Sisters support the human rights of all people and, due to our history, work in a special way to promote justice for girls and women wherever we find ourselves and in increasingly diverse ministries: combatting forced marriage, eliminating female genital mutilation, addressing the complexity of human trafficking, education and life-long learning, pastoral, spiritual and leadership programmes, healthcare and self-help projects aimed at encouraging women to take their place in their cultural contexts with dignity and purpose. All MWIA projects aim to uphold the rights of girls and women providing the resources needed to develop capacity, resilience and hope for families, communities and nations. Our schools mark International Women’s Day (March 8) each year with creativity and passion and International Day of the Girl (October 12) is a celebration of the potential of girls ‘to do much’ and a reminder that many girls in our world do not have access to the same opportunities, resources, encouragement and hope. We find Loreto women in every professional field and delight in the increasing representation of past students in Australian political life and at the service of all humanity. We look forward to marking 25 years since the Beijing Conference on Women in 2020.
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