Unequal salaries and mythologized motherhood. The weight of gender in Catholic institutions

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear the personal account of a woman who teaches at a Catholic university. On the day her promotion to department head was announced, a male colleague approached her and said, “I didn’t vote for you, because I find it unacceptable to be under the authority of a woman”. In a different context, another woman told me she discovered that in the Catholic institution where she works, women are paid less than men despite having the same education, position, and workload.

These are just two examples of a broader trend, in which the tendency to counterbalance the apparent acceptance of women’s presence in the public life of the Church and society with a kind of underground, poorly disguised rejection. Women are not better than men are, nor are they more naturally inclined to listen, mediation, or to caregiving simply by virtue of being women. I know men who are excellent listeners and caregivers, and women who are ruthless and opportunistic; and vice versa, of course. To offer equal opportunities is not a matter of convenience; it is a matter of justice. In the workplace and in pastoral settings, we need to learn to look at people beyond gender, ethnicity, age, or social status, and instead see in each person the unique gift that only he or she can offer to the Christian community and to society. Of course, doing this requires training ourselves in the art of making decisions grounded in reality; in other words, in discernment.

However, the devaluation of women’s work is only one side of the problem. The other side, which is equally dangerous, yet contrary, is the idealization of women. A striking example of this dynamic is the issue of motherhood. It affects both women who long for children and those who, for various reasons, have not chosen to have them. The motherhood myth weighs heavily on the shoulders of mothers, while fueling their anxiety and feelings of inadequacy. For others, it brings the constant burden of having to justify the choice -or the necessity- of not having children. The final document of the Synod reminds us, among other things, of the importance of helping believers avoid idealizing the figure of the bishop and to welcome him in his humanity, with both his strengths and his weaknesses. Let us hope this growing awareness will help us gradually do the same for all human beings, that is to set aside categories and stereotypes, and welcome each and every person in their specific reality.

by Linda Pocher
A Daughter of Mary Help of Christians, theologian

#sisterproject