Santarém, Brazil | March 26–27
As part of the 5th Lower Amazon Women’s Forum, under the theme “Women on the Move: Transforming Society,” Sister Sônia Maria Pinho de Matos, vice president of CEAMA, shared a profound reflection on the essential role of women in building life, community, and integral ecology.
During her address, she emphasized that both REPAM and CEAMA, although institutions of the Catholic Church, are called to engage in a strong interreligious and ecumenical dialogue, opening paths of encounter amidst diversity.
In line with the theme of the gathering, Sister Sônia underscored that all human life begins in the experience of the womb, which reveals a profoundly feminine dimension of existence. “Our being and existence in the world is, or should be, profoundly feminine,” she affirmed, inviting us to question the paths along which this essence has been lost.
One of the central themes of her reflection was integral ecology, understood not only as the care of nature, but as a network of relationships that begins in daily life: the family, emotions, the community, and social life. In this regard, she emphasized that it is women who sustain these ecosystems, ensuring harmony, the economy of care, and quality of life in multiple spheres.
While acknowledging that structures marked by clericalism and machismo still persist within the Church, she strongly affirmed that women continue to be the heart that sustains ecclesial life in everyday life.
She also highlighted the impact of women in other spheres such as politics and public administration, where their presence makes a significant difference in processes of social transformation.
Sister Sônia also invited participants to deepen their understanding of a holistic vision of the human person: “We are not separate from the land; we are the land. We are water, we are earth, we are life.” From this perspective, she emphasized that humanity is a collective body, where the pain, discrimination, or empowerment of one woman affects and transforms the entire community.
The gathering was experienced as a space for listening, solidarity, and strengthening women’s leadership, reaffirming that the path toward more just and sustainable societies necessarily involves recognizing, valuing, and empowering women’s voices and actions.