Much of the work of NBCW is undertaken in the Standing Committees and Working Groups. The objectives of the Committees are to:
- Provide information on issues relevant to Catholic women.
- To recommend appropriate action.
- To prepare responses and submissions to the Government and others (including the media) on issues of interest and concern.
Committees keep a watching brief on their area of expertise. Members come from a wide range of backgrounds and individuals with particular expertise may be co-opted to assist with specific areas of concern. Working Groups may be set up to address specific topics or urgent issues.
There are currently seven committees, and brief descriptions are below. Clink on the link to learn more about the work of each committee. If you feel you could contribute to the work or would like to convey your views Contact Us.
Standing Committees / Working Groups
Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee
Encourages Catholic women to engage in dialogue with women from other churches and faith communities at local and national level.
Convenors: Janet Ward and Cathy Wattebot
We identify current issues, promote and inform discussion and prepare reports and publications. We encourage Catholic women to attend ecumenical and interfaith events. These have been well attended in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Through the Dicoesan Links, we hope more events will take place elsewhere once the COVID-19 restrictions allow.
One focus recently has been on Receptive Ecumenism – which emphasises receptivity, learning from and listening to those from other Christian denominations. We have been closely involved in a post-doctoral research project on Receptive Ecumenism, as the NBCW Trust part-funded the research post at the Centre of Catholic Studies in Durham University.
One publication resulting from this research, Receiving the Gifts, is a toolkit for exploring Receptive Ecumenism in a number of ways, and is now being republished by the NBCW both in hard copy and as a web document. Unfortunately COVID-19 meant that it has not been possible for workshops to be held.
Another focus for the Ecumenical and Interfaith Committee has been the question of shared Eucharist, which is often a concern among Interfaith couples. We are also soon to publish a leaflet Who can receive communion with us? giving guidance to lay people on when Chrisitians from other churches may receive Communion in a Catholic church.
Committee membership currently includes representation from:
Andante, Association of Interchurch Families, Diocesan Commissions, Ecumenical Forum of European Christian Women, World Day of Prayer.
We also have informal links with Churches Together in England and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, and belong to two interfaith Networks; Women’s Interfaith Network and Women of Faith Network – Religions for Peace.
Education Committee
The Education Committee considers all aspects of Catholic education, from what is taught in our schools and colleges to how adults come to understand their faith better.
Convenor: Jancintha Bowe
‘Education is a dynamic reality; it is a movement that brings people to light.’ (Pope Francis, Plenary of the Congregation for Catholic Education, February 2020).
As a teacher, Liz Huntley has had extensive experience ‘at the coal face’ on what is currently taught in our schools. But Catholic education is not only about what your child is taught as part of a formal curriculum. Rather it is the whole approach to how we bring up our young people to live in accordance with the gospel. And as adults, we are continually challenged to learn and understand more about our faith and our responsibilities as active Christians.
Pope Francis has stressed the importance of education as an ‘inclusive movement’ and inclusion is an integral part of the Christian saving message. . The Education Committee keeps up to date on a wide spectrum of what is occurring in the UK and the wider Catholic world, and gives input and comments as appropriate to various bodies.
International Committee
Recognising the unique worth of every woman and her equal right to opportunity, inclusion, respect and dignity, committee members work nationally and internationally to challenge discrimination and promote a woman’s right to gender justice.
Convenor: Maureen Meatcher
The values that underpin the work of the International Committee are the recognition of the unique worth of every woman and the promotion of her equal right to opportunity, inclusion, respect, and dignity. We believe it is the right of women to feel secure and safe in their lives and be protected from violence, abuse, and oppression.
We work nationally and internationally to challenge discrimination and promote a woman’s right to gender justice within the context of sustainability and inclusivity. Using the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda we monitor policy nationally & internationally and work to influence its development, implementation, and impact. We are able to do this by working collaboratively with National Alliance of Women’s Organisations (NAWO), and UK Civil Society Women’s Association (UKCSWA) to further NBCW’s aims within the UK context. Our association with these groups enables us to have a greater impact when we attend international events such as the New York annual United Nations Conference Commission on the Status of Women. We have also attended the meeting of the Committee of the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in Geneva.
Science, Environment and Bioethics Committee
As its name suggests, this committee has a remit to look at, and raise awareness of, a very wide range of issues that are of concern to Catholic women.
Convenors: Dr Mary McHugh and Patricia Stoat
The formal committee membership is small, but there is frequent and wide-ranging contact with individuals and organisations with expertise in specific areas. This allows us to stay up to date with developments, to make informed comment and to keep NBCW members informed.
Health has been a particular focus since March 2020, on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have written to the Department of Health and Social Care expressing concern on behalf of residents in care homes. We have also urged support for the John Snow Memorandum which makes the case against opening up society too rapidly, relying on ‘natural herd immunity’, rather than a science-based approach.
We have liaised with various bodies on the issue of the care of persons in the critical and terminal phases of life and sought to raise awareness, both among NBCW members and the general public, on sources of information on those areas of interest to concerned Catholics. We have issued a guide on decision-making about the care you may need in the coronavirus pandemic (see Publications), and have highlighted videos and publications which may be of interest on this subject.
With regard to Ethics Artificial Intelligence has been a focus. In Rome, in Feb 2020 at a meeting of the Pontifical Academy for Life on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, a number of industry and government organisations (Microsoft, IBM, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, and representatives of the Italian Government ) signed a Charter, a Call for AI Ethics. It calls for ethical principles and guidelines to be used in the field of artificial intelligence so that products that are developed, sold and used actually promote the good of all humanity.
In October, the Committee Convenor Mary McHugh attended a follow-up webinar. The goals of this event were to present concrete solutions to the agri-food business taking into account ethical use of AI. The Holy See emphasised the need to factor in the benefits of AI for small farmers and the poor, rather than just focussing on big agribusinesses. Brad Smith (Microsoft) said they had been alerted to think more widely and to expand the ethics of AI to include sustainability.
Environmental concerns are ongoing. The 2020 November meeting of COP26 (UN Climate Change Conference) was rescheduled for Glasgow in November 2021. We are keen to hear from any one who has a particular interest in this area or for ideas on how NBCW can mark this important conference.
Social Responsibility Committee
Underpinned by Catholic Social Teaching, the work of this committee covers a wide range of topics, including Poverty, Domestic Abuse, Racial Justice, Trafficking and many more. It seeks to articulate the voice of Catholic women in dialogue with the Church and Government.
Convenor: Rose Cartledge
The Social Responsibility Committee is one of three advocacy committees in the National Board of Catholic Women. Set up over 30 years ago, its mission is: firstly, to raise awareness of key social issues, based on Catholic social teachings on the theme of ‘Who is my Neighbour?’, by articulating the voice of Catholic Women; and secondly, to lobby for better conditions and policies by sharing our concerns and writing to our MPs in parliament.
The main social issues identified include (1) poverty and its impact on families; (2) the treatment of prisoners and, in particular, women in the criminal justice system; (3) racial justice; and (4) asylum and immigration.
Gospel values and Catholic Social Teaching underpin all our work. We liaise closely with the Bishops’ Conference, CSAN, Marriage Care, CARJ and other Christian and secular organisations. Previously, we used to meet in person three times a year at Women at the Well in Kings Cross, but during the Coronavirus lockdown we started having virtual Zoom meetings and have continued this practice every two months, increasing the number of meetings to six per year, as we have eliminated the need to travel.
During the lockdown, we updated our booklet on Raising Awareness of Domestic Abuse and have now transferred all our work on Domestic abuse to the NBCW VAWG committee. Another publication, A Toolkit on Poverty, is also available online.
The Committee collaborated with the Bishops’ Conference to prepare materials for the 2024 General Election, with an emphasis on women’s concerns. Questions for candidates on their policies were suggested based on the issues we cover. In order to raise awareness within the Church and society, members of the SRC carry out research, write reports and organise webinars. Recent webinars have dealt with Women’s experiences in the Asylum system (May 2024); Child poverty: challenges and solutions (October 2024); and Racial Justice: embracing ALL (February 2025). Our webinar in October 2025 is on Women in the Criminal Justice System: keeping women out of prison.
Rose Cartledge is the current convenor. She and the committee welcome new members with an interest and/or expertise in any of the topics covered. You can contact her here.
Violence Against Women and Girls Committee
This Committee was set up in October 2020. It provides a space for Catholic women, both practitioners and those with an interest in or experience of the subject, to come together to discuss, understand, and address issues of sex and gender-based violence and violence against children.
Convenor: Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno
Violence against women and children (VAWC) covers all manifestations of violence including, but not limited to, coercive control and post-separation abuse, sexual, physical, spiritual, financial, emotional, and psychological abuse.
Our mission is to bring Catholic women and children’s voices, experience, and expertise on VAWC to the fore. We recognise and welcome collaboration with all women, from all backgrounds.
We plan and undertake specific (and strategic) Catholic social action on VAWC issues as opportunities arise and resources allow.
Current Activities and Priorities
- Annulment and Abuse Task and Finish Group
- Exploitation and Pornography Task and Finish Group
- Racial Justice Task and Finish Group
- Institutional Violence Against Women and Children
Women in the Church Committee
Convenor: Helen Burgess
The recently re-formed WIC Committee is driven by a core aim: to foster a sense of belonging among women within the people of God, emphasizing the fundamental right of every individual to communicate with their priest and bishop.
As a dynamic and creative group, we are committed to empowering women within the Church to listen to and share their voices. To achieve this, the committee aims to provide spiritually and theologically enriching resources, drawing upon the diverse perspectives of female ecclesiologists. Recent efforts have focused on embracing the opportunities presented by synod on synodality and following it’s outcomes closely.
The committee warmly welcomes new members and fresh ideas, encouraging active participation in their mission.