The executive team of the LOC/MTC (Liga Operária Católica - Movimento de Trabalhadores Cristãos**) and the permanent commission of the HOAC (Hermandad Obrera de Acción Católica***) held their annual coordination meeting from 17th to 19th February in Burgos to share and to analyze together the life and efforts of the activists – male and female – of both movements and the current state of the working environment and the Church in both countries.

As a starting point, we affirmed the similarity of both countries with respect to:

• the high rate of existing unemployment, which has increased this last year and the worrying prospect that this increase will continue steadily.
• the latest labor reforms have not avoided job losses, but have further deteriorated working conditions and job instability and set back collective negotiation.
• indecent wages, often a pittance, are leading to the creation of a sector of poor workers, in spite of their jobs
• smear campaigns directed at the workers' organizations
• this situation has reduced the workers' purchasing power and has conditioned their lives, forcing them to renounce minimally decent standards of living.
• insecurity has increased, fear and uncertainty about the future have increased.
• thousands of qualified young people from both countries must leave their homes and families to find a future in other countries

The place of the women in the world- case of the women in Uganda

At the beginning of this year 2013, Ugandans, especially females, were excited when feminist and civil society activist Winnie Byanyima sprang to one important global helm. She was appointed the Executive Director of Oxfam International. Similarly, last year two other prolific Ugandan women rose in international stature. The East African Legislative Assembly hoisted Margaret Zziwa to its Speakership, making her the first woman and Ugandan to occupy that seat. The other is Margaret Mungherera, who was elected as President of World Medical Association (WMA).

In the Ugandan socio-political context, women have surpassed many limitations to get to the top. For instance, Rebecca Kadaga, Christine Ondoa and Maria Kiwanuka are at the helm of Parliament, the health and finance ministries, respectively. Women have also ascended to influential positions in corporate companies and in the civil society. To level further the socio-political turf for women, the Government has signed and ratified several international, regional and sub-regional instruments aimed at promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Despite such judicious policies and gestures from the Government to uplift the socio-political stature of women, there are limitations to this progress – the journey ahead for women is perhaps much longer than what they have walked so far. Although some women have sailed through to the top, majority of women in Uganda are still wallowing at the lowest rungs of society.

In most corporate entities, most women are mid-level managers; no matter how hard they work they don’t succeed improving their professional status. Concerning motherhood, especially those in rural areas, women keep on being dismissed or discriminated when pregnant, despite various interventions from the Government.

Starting out from the priorities as defined by the last General Assembly of the WMCW, this year we want to make a brief reflection on the concrete situation lived today by migrants in Spain a country where the official statistics indicate that the 25% of the working population is without work. This rate has 52% amongst young workers. This situation has provoked the emigration of 100,000 people this year alone. In addition about 10,000young workers from the country leave for the centre of Europe, Latin America etc.

This critical situation critique is in the process of spreading. New social dramas are now reaching migrants as well as those who come from the country: evictions due to none payment of mortgages, loss of social rights, general impoverishment. This situation is creating new waves of migration.

STATEMENT OF MOVEMENTS OF CHRISTIAN WORKERS FROM PORTUGAL AND SPAIN TO THE EUROPEAN DAY OF STRIKES AND DEMONSTRATIONS ON 14 NOVEMBER