Holy Women Initiative (HWI) Introduced in Los Angeles

The pilot program of the Holy Women Initiative (HWI) was presented by Guardian Girls USA of KIF USA to Christian church members in Los Angeles, at the request of the Church. During the event, Nia Lyte, President of Guardian Girls International (GGI), shared the mission and objectives of the project, which seeks to empower women within Christian and Catholic churches, schools, and organizations. The program concluded with a special five-minute Guardian Girls Aikido demonstration, kindly provided by the Aikido Center of Los Angeles.

The Holy Women Initiative (HWI) was established by GGI in 2025, following a private audience granted to Nia Lyte and Shin Koyamada with Pope Francis in January of that year. During this meeting, they had the privilege of presenting GGI’s global efforts and engaging in dialogue on a potential new global initiative. Pope Francis personally chose the name Holy Women for the project. Since then, GGI has been in communication with various Vatican Dicasteries to prepare for the official global launch of HWI, beginning with pilot programs in select countries around the world.