One in Four Vatican Employees Now Women, Thanks to Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ commitment to gender equality has led to a significant increase in the number of women employed by the Vatican.

On the International Day of Women, the Holy See Press Office released a report revealing that in the ten years of Pope Francis’ pontificate, the number of women working in the Vatican has risen from 846 in 2013 to 1,165 in 2023. This represents a jump from 19.2% to 23.4% of the total workforce.

The report also revealed that the percentage of women in the Roman Curia, the governing body of the Vatican, has increased from 19.3% in 2013 to 26.1% in 2023.

This means that one in four employees in the Roman Curia is now a woman. The report highlighted that women in the Vatican are highly educated, with many holding academic titles.

At least five women have been appointed to high-ranking positions directly by the Pope. These include the Secretary of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development and the Vice-President of the Governorate of Vatican City, the two highest positions held by women.

Other women serve as Under-Secretaries in various Dicasteries, such as the Laity, Family and Life; Culture and Education; Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; the Secretariat of State; the Synod’s General Secretariat.

Barbara Jatta, the Directress of the Vatican Museums, is another woman in a prominent leadership position, and in the Council for the Economy, six out of 15 members are women, and two women religious and a laywoman serve in the Dicastery for Bishops, participating in the selection of the world’s bishops.

Although the percentage of women in Vatican City has remained stable at 19%, the increase in the number of women in the Roman Curia is a significant step forward.

This progress is due to Pope Francis’ commitment to gender equality and the inclusion of women in decision-making roles within the Vatican.