Benedictine Sisters Advocate Corporate Responsibility

The Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, a group of 80 nuns in Kansas, are making waves as shareholder activists by challenging major corporations like Google, Target, and Citigroup on issues such as AI oversight and environmental concerns. Sister Barbara McCracken, who leads their corporate responsibility efforts, highlights their role as a small yet persistent presence in the corporate world. Recently, they drew attention for criticizing a commencement speech by Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, who suggested women's primary roles should be as wives and mothers. The sisters advocate for women's education and have diverse professional backgrounds, which they leverage in their investment strategies. They engage in shareholder activism by proposing resolutions to companies, including calls for Chevron to evaluate human rights practices and Amazon to disclose lobbying expenditures. Their efforts reflect a commitment to aligning investments with their religious and ethical values.