Hekima University College has once again become the stage for a groundbreaking gathering of African women theologians, as leaders, scholars, and participants converge under the theme “Synodality in Action: Emerging Ecclesiologies, Vitality of Women and Discerning Leadership for the 21st Century.”
Building on the success of its inaugural 2023 conference, the institution, together with Watawa wa Taa and the Doctoral Scholarship for African Women Theologians, is hosting this year’s event to amplify the voices of African women in theology and to reflect on their vital role in shaping the future of the Church.
In his welcoming remarks, Rev. Dr. Marcel Uwineza SJ, Principal of Hekima University College, underlined the conference’s importance in strengthening the Church’s journey toward inclusivity. “This moment is not an accident in salvation history, it is a divine reminder that the gospel cannot be fully proclaimed without the voices, insights and leadership of women,” he said.
He added that the gathering aligns with the African Church’s Vision 2050, which calls for theology rooted in African soil and insists that “effective leadership for the future must be collaborative and inclusive. Women, Youth and Lay should not be at the sidelines of the movement, but recognized as co-leaders in mission.”
Sr. Mumbi Kigutha CPPS, Director of Watawa wa Taa and President of Friends in Solidarity, emphasized both the promise and the challenges facing the Church in Africa, where Catholicism continues to grow rapidly. “Our continent is home to one of the fastest-growing Catholic populations in the world… And yet, the contribution of women within this body remains restricted,” she said. “When women’s voices are silenced, the Church does not grow stronger. It grows weaker.”
She described the gathering as a turning point for African women theologians, urging participants to embrace their responsibility as pioneers. “Let this gathering be more than just a conference. Let it be a moment when African women theologians move from the margins to the center. From exception… to essential.”
For many participants, the conference represents both hope and encouragement. Sister Mary Emma Njeri, a member of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice and a theology student at Hekima, said she was motivated to attend by the desire to see how the African Church recognizes women’s roles. “At the moment I feel like we are not in a church of hierarchy, but we are all agents of evangelisation,” she said. She welcomed recent steps in the Vatican to entrust leadership roles to women, describing them as “a lot of hope in women leadership in the Church” and an inspiration for more opportunities ahead.
The African Women Theologians Conference was first convened in 2023 to mark Hekima University College’s 40th anniversary, celebrating its significant contribution to the education and empowerment of women theologians. This year’s conference continues that mission, asking pressing questions about how the African Church can live out its synodal calling while addressing leadership, safety, inclusivity, and the evangelizing mission of the Church in a changing world.
The organizers outlined four main objectives: to create a platform for African women theologians to be heard in global theological and ecclesial discourse; to strengthen and channel the intellectual abilities, leadership, and contributions of African women religious toward the growth of the Church; to foster a spirit that liberates and empowers women; and to build a network of African women scholars committed to the Church’s mission in Africa and beyond.
As the discussions unfold, the conference reaffirms the central message echoed in the voices of its leaders and participants: the future of the Church in Africa cannot be fully realized without the active participation, leadership, and theological insight of its women.