Catholic women strike against the “glass ceiling” in the Catholic Church

Mathilde is striking – against the Catholic church.

The French lawyer and regular churchgoer is part of a growing movement.

Around the world, Catholic women have gone on strike during this year’s Lent, a 40-day period of prayer and fasting, to criticise the continued exclusion they face when it comes to decision-making in the Church.

“The idea is really to protest, in this time of Lent, during these 40 days of Lent, to show true lack of understanding when it comes to the place of women in the church today. At first, I had decided not to go to church at all. But then I changed my mind, and decided instead to go to church wearing my badge, to try and spark conversations and get people talking about it,” said Mathilde.

In France, the movement is led by the association Comité de la Jupe, or Skirt Committee.

The organisation found that women do 80% of the essential work in French parishes.

Adéline, co-president of the Skirt Committee, explained: “In addition to the strictly male governance, you have this reality on the ground where women are everywhere. Churches are full of women, whether they’re parishioners, volunteers, in parishes, in associations, in social work, in the pulpit. They’re everywhere, but they have this glass ceiling, meaning they can’t access certain responsibilities”.

In many parishes, it is women who take care of tasks such as leading religious classes or preparing celebrations.

But only men can become ordained priests and make decisions on behalf of their parish.

For now, the higher spheres of the Catholic Church have been slow to respond to the demand for change.

But around the world, the women’s movement is gaining traction and new members.