(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 08.03.2023).- On the International Day of Women, the Holy See Press Office handed out, to accredited journalists, an informative report, which reflects that in ten years of Pope Francis’ Pontificate, the number of women working in the Vatican has increased from 846 in 2013 to 1,165 in 2023. This implies an increase of 19.2% to 23.4% of the total number of employees.
The report showed that, considering the Roman Curia alone, the number of women increased from 19.3% of the total in 2013 to 26.1% of the total in 2023. In other words, in 2023 one out of every four employees is a woman.
Women’s realms of work in the Vatican imply an academic title.
At least five women hold high-ranking positions, and have been appointed directly by the Pope. This is the case of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, where a woman is the Secretary and of the Governorate of Vatican City, where the Vice-President is a woman. These are the two highest positions held by women. In ranks one notch behind are the Under-Secretaries of the Dicasteries for the Laity, Family and Life; for Culture and Education; for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; and in the Secretariat of State (Francesca Di Giovanni), and the Synod’s General Secretariat.
Then there is the Directress of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, and if the Roman Curia is differentiated from Vatican City, in the latter the percentage of women remains stable at 19%.
There are also women in the Council for the Economy (six out of the total of 15 members), two women religious and a laywoman in the Dicastery for Bishops (who participate in the selection of the world’s Bishops.
