Empowering Nuns to Tackle Violence and Mental Health in India

Editor’s note: This story is part of Global Sisters Report’s yearlong series “Out of the Shadows: Confronting Violence Against Women,” which explores how Catholic sisters address challenges stemming from widespread violence.

Catholic nuns across India are embarking on a series of supportive training programs aimed at addressing issues of sexual abuse, mental health, and suicidal tendencies. The Conference of Religious Women India (CRWI) successfully completed its 10th training workshop in Goa from April 1-5, serving approximately 50 nuns from various regions.

Sr. Molly Mathew, who leads the initiative, stated, ‘We have begun strengthening the resilience of the religious sisters to face challenges at work and foster community support for mental well-being.’

The CRWI represents around 103,000 nuns working throughout India. Assistant program coordinator, Sr. Renjitha Ravi, shared that the workshop focused on recognizing distress, assessing needs, identifying individuals requiring support, and counseling ethics.

Mathew, a member of the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians, revealed that the ‘Training of Trainers program on Basic Counseling Skills for Mental Health and Wellness’ launched in November has already benefited approximately 350 nuns.

Developed in collaboration with Christ University’s Department of Psychology, this initiative intends to enhance religious formation and address mental health needs effectively.

Media reports have highlighted numerous cases of rape, murder, and suicides among nuns in recent years, prompting the church to prioritize helping nuns cope with sexual abuse and mental health concerns. Between 1997 and 2021, at least 20 nuns have reportedly died by suicide in India.

Mathew noted, ‘There have been cases of gender discrimination and sexual abuses in our country, which have driven some even to attempt suicide.’ In March, a gathering of 565 major superiors led to drafting an action plan to promote nuns’ mental health.

Earlier this year, approximately 240 nuns from 78 congregations participated in a program to share challenges and collectively propose revised training for religious formation, including a ‘Wellbeing Self-Care Kit’ aimed at enhancing mental health support.

Establishing a Grievances Redressal Cell in 2022, composed of nine members including lawyers and activists, has also enabled nuns to report issues confidentially, as Mathew explained, ‘Any nun having a grievance can directly email and telephone the cell without fear or permission from her superiors.’

According to Patrick Jude, an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology at Christ University, ‘Mental health is gaining currency in all religious congregations as religious sisters working in diverse fields face many challenges.’