Pope Francis says women’s rights struggle is ‘ongoing struggle’, condemns amputation

Pope Francis said on Sunday (6 November) that the fight for women’s rights is an “ongoing struggle”, saying that male chauvinism is fatal to humanity and female genital mutilation is a crime that must be stopped. accused of being

Speaking to reporters on a plane returning from a four-day trip to Muslim-majority Bahrain, he praised the women he appointed to managerial posts at the Vatican, where they said they had improved the situation there. Stated.

He did not mention a campaign to allow women to go beyond and become clergymen.

Pope Francis, while answering questions about women protesting in Iran, turned to the topic of women’s rights in general.

“We have to tell the truth. The struggle for women’s rights is an ongoing struggle,” he said, citing historic struggles such as the fight for voting rights.

“We must continue to fight for this because women are a gift. God did not create men and then give them dogs to play with. God treats both men and women as equals. I created it,” he said.

“Societies that cannot[enable women to play greater roles]will not move forward,” he added.

Pope Francis has condemned male chauvinism and acknowledged that there is still too much of it around the world, including in his native Argentina.

He also condemned female genital mutilation (FGM) as a “criminal act” and reiterated a major call he made to the United Nations International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation in February.

According to the United Nations, FGM is concentrated in about 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, but it is also practiced elsewhere by migrant groups. According to the United Nations, more than 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM this year.

He spoke of the women he had appointed to administrative positions at the Vatican, and named the nun Sister Rafaela Petrini, who is effectively the most powerful woman as vice-governor of Vatican City.

“I have noticed that every time a woman is given a (responsible) position in the Vatican, the situation improves.

He also noted the influence of the five women he appointed to the departments that oversee the Vatican’s finances.

“This is a (Vatican) revolution because women know how to find the right path forward,” he said.

Pope Francis has also appointed women as Vice Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Director of the Vatican Museums, Deputy Director of the Vatican Public Relations Office, and appointed four women as members of the Council of Bishops, who prepare major meetings.

The church teaches that only men can be priests because Jesus chose men as apostles.