Women in Vatican City

Vatican City is a very small country, and only a few women are its citizens. Women make up about 5.5% of the people who live there. In 2011, there were only 32 women with Vatican passports out of 572 people, and one of them was a nun.

By 2013, the number of women citizens was around 30. These women came from different places, including two from South America, two from Poland, and three from Switzerland. Most of the women living in Vatican City were from Italy.

Female residents

Vatican City has very few women living there. One woman was the daughter of an electrician, but she moved away when she got married. Another woman living there is Magdalena Wolińska-Riedi, a Polish translator. She is married to one of the Swiss Guards.

Vatican City citizens

Vatican City has very few women citizens. Some of these women work as a military officer, teachers, or academics. Women can become citizens of Vatican City if they marry a male citizen who is a baptized Catholic, but their citizenship only lasts as long as they live there.

Value of women

In the past, women could not open bank accounts in Vatican City. However, during the time of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, the importance of women in the city was recognized. One of Pope Benedict XVI's key advisers was a woman named Ingrid Stampa. In April 2013, The Telegraph reported that Pope Francis planned to appoint more women to important positions in the Vatican. In May 2019, Pope Francis made history by appointing three women as advisers for a major church meeting about young people and faith. The Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, now also includes special pages about women’s issues. While women cannot be ordained as priests or bishops, a special group is studying whether they can serve in another important church role called deacons.

Clothing

When visiting important places in Vatican City like St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, or the Vatican Museums, women (and men) need to dress nicely. This means no low-cut tops, sleeveless shirts, shorts, miniskirts, or hats for men inside. Women can choose to wear a black hat or veil, but their clothes must cover their shoulders and knees.

There are very strict rules about dress, and the Swiss Guards can stop anyone who is not following them. If someone forgets to dress properly, they can buy a lightweight poncho outside to cover up. When meeting the Pope, ladies should wear a simple black dress with a matching veil on their heads. They should not wear big handbags or flashy jewellery, but a small string of pearls is okay. Some people may wear traditional clothes from their country, but red and purple colours are not allowed for regular visitors.

Voting rights

The Pope, who is the head of state, is chosen by a group called the College of Cardinals. Right now, only men can be Cardinals or become Pope. However, these rules could be changed in the future to allow women to take on these roles.

Divorce

Vatican City is one of only two places in the world that does not allow divorce. The other place is the Philippines. You can learn more about this by reading about Divorce in the Philippines.

Abortion

See also: Abortion and the Catholic Church

The laws in Vatican City are based on the rules of the Catholic Church and some Italian laws. These laws say that abortion is not allowed, but there is an exception if it is needed to save a woman's life. In very special cases, like treating certain health problems, doctors can act to save the mother's life even if it might affect the unborn child, but this is only allowed when the main goal is to protect the mother’s health.

Donne in Vaticano

In September 2016, leaders in Vatican City allowed the start of an important group just for women, called Donne in Vaticano. This was the first time such a group existed there. The women in this group include journalists, theologians, and economists. The group is led by its founding president, Tracey McClure.