Search

At present the question of equality of women and men is non disputable. John Paul II spoke about it clearly and many times, but for most women his way of presentation of this issue was insufficient. Why? It seems that the use of the expression: „equal rights” is problematic in this context because it results in trading men against women and in proving that because we are equal, we are self-contained. This framework does not open us toward dialogue but it encloses us inside male and female worlds. Certainly it was not the intention of God, when He created us in His image and likeness as man and woman. Indeed we are His image if we are open to each other not only in mind and will but especially in the need of complementarity. Individually we can understand and recognize less than we can together so a meeting with the other sex is a chance for us to realize our potential as man and woman. For this reason, I propose to exchange the notion “equal right” for “co-rights”. It does not bring a category of identity but gives the criterion of reciprocity. In the Church the “co-rights” concept is more difficult to realize in practice than the demands of feminist theology. It requires from men not only the modification of their positions but the need of awareness that they do it for themselves and not only for women. Furthermore it demands from women courage and increasing levels of expertise. However, the starting point for both genders is humility.