Hearing the voices of women – are we being marginalised?

In the ongoing universal synod process, I have frequently heard women referred to as a “marginalised group” in the Church. This has stopped me in my tracks.

How can it be, in 2023, that women feel marginalised? The dialogue has made me consider my own position and whether I, as a Catholic woman, feel part of this relegated group.

I am the child of a strong woman of faith, and I am surrounded by Catholic women who make a difference in the world. When my mother died, it was Catholic women who held me and healed me with their loving prayers.

I have benefitted greatly from the support and prayers of strong Catholic women who have accompanied me on the twists and challenges of my faith journey. I also work for the Church, my vocation firstly as teacher and now in the area of faith and mission development, and this has given me a voice.

I have been able to use my gifts and respond to Christ’s calling. From my perspective, I can see that women in the Church are alive and active and making missional impact.

The practical expression of faith by women is evident. When we look at the average parish in the UK women are in the majority. However, when we peek beneath this optic, behind the practice, it is clear that in a number of very significant ways women still remain outside of the centre.

I may feel personally empowered but that does not mean I am not marginalised by structure.

As the joint diocesan coordinator for the synod process, the role of women in the Church was frequently raised as an issue. While women are often the lifeblood of the Church community, it is still statistically rare to find them in positions of governance and leadership. Women will often animate local decisions, but they rarely chair and lead in parish councils where decisions are ideally taken.

As a representative for the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW) on the team from England and Wales at the European Continental Synod, the issue of the role of women in the Church was a repeated, resonating, permeating theme.

Some were calling for women's ordinations, others for women to be involved in governance and decision-making, others were calling for the recognition of the contribution of women in ministry at all levels of the Church. This internal cry to take everyone's baptismal calling seriously is a front and central issue and goes to the core of Catholic social teaching about the dignity of all.

My membership of the NBCW has opened my eyes to how my experience of empowered womanhood isn't universal. The work of the NBCW has highlighted the very real needs of voiceless women who do not get the support they deserve.

Think of the vastly important work of groups such as Women at the Well, who work to get women out of prostitution, or the movement confronting violence against women and girls, or those who support victims of domestic abuse.

This is very much the perspective of England and Wales – different issues affect women across the world. In many cultures when poverty strikes it is the women who are first to sacrifice and to go without, often as the result of decisions that have been taken by others.

While we strive to ensure justice, equality, dignity for other marginalised groups in society, it is difficult to hold the tension of enacting this mission in the name of being Catholic when the structure appears to be unsure of what to do with its women.

It is against this backdrop that I find myself in the honourable position of being elected president of the NBCW. Being from the North of England, I am very aware that we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, not just the northern saints – Cuthbert and Bede and, most pertinently, Hilda – but also the lesser-known saints of good and faithful people who pass the faith on from generation to generation.

The NBCW has a rich heritage of strong, faith-filled women who strived to ensure women have a voice in leading, nurturing and empowering others to make a difference. I am delighted to add to their history of taking the NBCW forward.

Since it was established in 1938, the NBCW has been walking with women. It became an umbrella organisation for other organisations built on the concept that we are stronger when we stand together. The role of women in society has changed dramatically since this time, and many younger women no longer join women's organisations. However, the premise remains that we are stronger when we stand together.

The NBCW will be undertaking a review period, exploring its form and function for the changing needs of women today. While I am undertaking the role of president I do so with two very strong new vice-presidents, Susan Longhurst and Jacintha Bowe. Collectively we want to work in new more collegiate ways, empowering those around us to lead.

As a mother to three teenage daughters, I can see the value of faith-filled female role models for the younger generations. The NBCW has ambitions to be more open to younger women's needs, and it looks to accompany and equip women for the challenges of today.

The collective body of women in the Church is substantial, we are using our influence to enact Christ’s mission. We know that many men and women are in support of the development of women’s voices in the Church.

We will however remain in the marginalised category, while we don’t have a seat at the table when key decision-making is taking place in the Church.

Amy Cameron is the president of the National Board of Catholic Women.

If you would like to be part of the NBCW journey or to hear more about the organisation, get in touch via www.nbcw.co.uk. We want to hear from women and men who support the empowerment of women.