what if women said no?
We know: Endless “study” on the subject of women is a patriarchal stalling tactic developed by ordained men to maintain the status quo.
Ordained men decide the parameters and pace of synodality, and when the time is “ripe” for women’s ministries. And they do so at an incalculable cost. The church has lost generations of women who endured the pain and humiliation of having to prove the validity of their calling.
Women are the lifeblood of the church: We lead and coordinate the vast majority of parish ministries around the world, and serve as deacons and priests in everything but name in places where clergy are scarce. Women were protagonists on the synodal journey. Women were the first to preach the Good News! And on and on and on.
We will no longer wait until ordained men decide the time is right.
We are calling on the women of the church to join the Women’s Ordination Conference in striking from sexism by withholding time, labor, and financial resources from the church during Lent 2025.
We believe the time is "ripe" to demand what is right, and so we are launching Catholic Women Strike, a global effort to disrupt the status quo. Instead of waiting for a papal “yes,” we issue forth our “no” to the systems of misogyny, sexism, and patriarchy that seek to stop the Holy Spirit.
our goal
Our goal is straightforward: To remove all barriers to ministry and governance—including Holy Orders—for women and people of all genders.
impact
Against these odds, women are still the lifeblood of the church. We lead and coordinate the vast majority of parish ministries around the world, and serve as deacons and priests in everything but name in places where priests are scarce. Without our presence, vital work would be left undone, and pews would be empty. Despite our essential role, we are left out of any meaningful leadership and decision-making, including sacramental leadership through ordained ministry.
Our strike will answer a simple question: “What if women said no?” Instead of waiting for a papal “yes,” we issue forth our “no” to the systems of misogyny, sexism, and patriarchy that seek to stop the Holy Spirit. And by doing so, we will show the institution just how vital women are to its survival—too vital to continue to hoard power and deny God’s calling on the basis of gender.
