A gathering of theologians and women’s rights advocates organized by the Voices of Faith women’s church reform initiative was held at the Vatican’s Casina Pio IV in celebration of International Women’s Day in May. Chantal Götz, executive director of the Fidel Götz Foundation and founder of Voices of Faith, told the National Catholic Reporter, “I’m totally convinced that many more women have more experience in certain things than any bishop or cardinal or any priest.” She said that for some members of the hierarchy, “[I]t’s quite difficult. They all want to talk. They’re not used to listening to different experiences of women.”

Participant Astrid Lobo Ghajiwela told National Public Radio, “Unfortunately in the church, governance is linked with ordination. If the structure is going to remain the way it is, that is, you know, no ordination for women, then I hope at least that they will delink governance and ordination so that women can be part of decision making.”

According to Associated Press reports, the percentage of Holy See employees who were female was only 18 percent in 2014, whereas in Vatican City, 19 percent of employees were female.

Former Swedish ambassador to the Vatican Ulla Gudmundson was among those speakers who challenged the hierarchy’s tendency to describe women as being essentially different than men. “It is diminishing to men to imply that they don’t have a capacity to be tender and patient,” she said, according to the Reporter.