More than one hundred women demonstrate in Barcelona for equality in Church

On Sunday, around 100 women gathered in front of the Cathedral in the center of Barcelona to demand equality in the Church.  

The demonstration was called by the Christian collective, Alcem la Veu, and believers took to the streets to “raise awareness” of the need for women to be at the forefront of the church and to fight for an “inclusive, diverse, empowered, and open” church. 

“We are qualified to be members with equal opportunities and functions as men,” Roser Soler, a member of Alcem la Veu told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) during the demonstration, adding that she hoped the message would reach everyone, from the smallest churches to the Vatican. 

At the demonstration, women carried banners that read “Dignity and Equality” and “The hierarchical and patriarchal structures create violence,” among others. 

According to Soler, the fight for equality is progressing in part because to Pope Francis and “especially because of all the women in Catalonia, in Spain and around the world who have worked, educated and created networks," although she acknowledged that there is still a long way to go.  

During the demonstration, Alcem la Veu reminded the supporters that they have “played an active role in denouncing” the cases of sexual abuse in the hands of the Catholic Church. 

This is not the first time the demonstration has taken. In fact, every year since 2022, religious women all over the world, organized by the Catholic Women’s Council, have gathered before International Women’s Day on March 8 to demand equal rights in the Church.  

On Sunday, similar demonstrations were held in more than 20 major cities across Spain.