Trailblazing Female Theologian Says Church Holds Back Women by Lucie Sarr

Trailblazing Female Theologian Says Church Holds Back Women
by Lucie Sarr
La Croix Ivory Coast | 01 March 2023

In the run up to International Woman’s Day on March 8, La Croix Africa asks women on the African continent how they see their place in the Church.

The culture of patriarchy and hierarchy found in African society and the Catholic Church tends to keep women from decision-making positions, says Sister Sahon Solange Sia, the first woman from Ivory Coast to earn a doctorate in theology.

"The prevailing attitude is that women cannot lead," says the religious, a member of the Congregation of Our Lady of Calvary in the West African country.

"The attitudes of resistance towards women coming from conservative groups that are very attached to cultural traditions are as much about the African cultural milieu as about the Church milieu; they come from men as well as from the women themselves," she says .

Sister Sahon Solange Sia | Photo by Guy Aimé Eblotié

A member of the theological commission of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) and currently director of the Center for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Persons at the Catholic Missionary Institute of Abidjan, Sister Sahon Solange spoke with La Croix Africa's Lucie Sarr about the obstacles facing women in the Church.

La Croix Africa: What do you think about the place of women in the Church?

Sister Sahon Solange Sia: To speak of women implies specifying which category she falls into. The place she may occupy will sometimes depend on whether she is illiterate, single, married, religious, intellectual, housewife, businesswoman, rural or urban, etc. Women are very present at all levels of Church life in prayer groups, in services for material and economic support, in movements and ecclesial associations.

But, in general, women are not very present in positions of responsibility and decision-making in the Church. The hierarchical and patriarchal organization of the Church does not facilitate their access to certain bodies.

Moreover, on the rare occasions when such positions are proposed, the women sometimes decline the offer because they consider themselves incapable. Some women often block themselves because they have often been blocked; they inflict upon themselves their own rejection or incapacity.

How do cultural constraints influence the role and place of women in the Church?

The constraints influence the role of women, and these come from both the African culture and from the ecclesial culture as it has developed over the course of its history. The attitudes of resistance towards women coming from conservative groups that are very attached to cultural traditions are as much about the African cultural milieu as about the Church milieu; they come from men as well as from the women themselves.

In these circles, the prevailing attitude is that women cannot lead. Historically, these opinions have been reinforced by the upheavals that Africa has experienced. It comes down to the arrival of Christianity, Islam, and colonization. Their principles and doctrines have often relegated women to the background and established male supremacy. The constraints are perpetuated by education, and girls are taught to be guided by men. All these socio-cultural constraints are transmitted by the socialization process through the family, the school, the religion, the village...

The majority of people have developed the culture of the submissive, incapable woman, relegated to the background. A good woman is the one who stays at home and takes care of the housework. In the church, the responsibility for sacred things has been taken away from them.

Although some African cultures attribute a preponderant role to women in the management of social affairs, these constraints limit women to pre-established and delimited spheres. Social stereotypes slow down their momentum.

What can be done to ensure that women hold more positions of responsibility in the Church?

Women have begun to occupy some positions of responsibility in the Church, but in the Church of Africa there is still a long way to go. In order to achieve this, training must be a priority in order to enable women to acquire the competencies, to understand ecclesiology and to engage with ease and dynamism. In order to occupy positions of responsibility, leadership must be developed in women's cycles so that women have confidence and boldness.

Women must also be encouraged to take their rightful place in institutions. Increasing the economic power of women is a way that can help them become more involved in the management of the church, even at the level of positions of responsibility.

Finally, it is necessary to fight for a balance and a better future for humanity by raising awareness, so as to change backward mentalities.

Read more at: https://international.la-croix.com/news/religion/trailblazing-female-theologian-says-church-holds-back-women/17382?fbclid=IwAR0f4h18dehbV_rplTuS8ljUQFcsbCcBPdOBcCuaXgInu1bwWAcr_bpmRtY