Pope Francis assured that violence against women “fruit of a culture of patriarchal and masculine oppression” while he condemned “gaps” that continue to prevent full parity with men in areas such as pay, social commitment and equal roles

“Violence against women is an open wound caused by a culture of patriarchal and masculine oppression. we must find cure for this affliction don’t leave women alone,” the pontiff notes in the prologue to the volume “More Women’s Leadership for a Better World: Caring as the Engine of Our Common Home,” edited by Anna Maria Tarantola, former director of the Bank of Italy and current president of the Centesimus Annus pro Pontifice Foundation.

In a volume published in Italy by Vita e Pensiero, with a foreword published by Vatican News, the Pope states that the world will be a better place if there is equality in diversity between men and women and ensures that equality does not lie in women “embracing masculine behaviour”, but in equality, because “the gates of the playing field are open to all players without gender differences (as well as skin color, religion, culture …)”

“If women could enjoy full equality of opportunity, they could make a significant contribution to Necessary Changes towards World Peace, Inclusion, Solidarity and Integral Sustainability“, the book emphasizes, is the result of a study promoted jointly by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (Sacro).

Francis highlights inequality, violence and prejudice which “still characterize the world of women and indicate how much remains to be done for the full emancipation of women”.

Similarly, it guarantees that The church can also benefit from the recognition of women. “We have not understood what women mean in the Church, and we are limited only to the functional part. […]. But the role of women in the Church goes far beyond functionality. We must continue to work on this. Far beyond.”

This ensures that a better, more just, more inclusive and fully sustainable world cannot be built without the contribution of women. For this reason, he calls for work to open equal opportunities for men and women in all contexts in order to achieve a stable and durable situation of equality in diversity.” For the pontiff, “the path to the affirmation of women is recent, thorny and, unfortunately, not final. You can easily return.”

Francisco assures that the world is born from women, arises and is reborn “by the tenderness of mothers.” “I think, as studies show, equality must be achieved in diversity. This is what economists call effective diversity. It’s nice to think of a world where everyone lives in harmony and everyone can see their talents recognized and contribute to a better world. The ability to carefor example, an undeniably feminine characteristic that should manifest itself not only in the family, but equally and successfully in politics, business, academia and the workplace,” she says.