Have things changed for women since the time of Mary Magdalene?
In a world where we aren’t trusted, Mary’s encounter with the risen Jesus is an act of solidarity.
Century illustration
This is not a great time to be a woman. Plus ça change, as my French sister-in-law might say. Fair point. Yet the evidence of a decline in women’s position in many societies is stacking up. In 2024, nearly half the world’s population took part in elections; in 60 percent of them, the number of female legislators fell. And perhaps the less said about having a man like Donald Trump back in office the better.
A few years back, some of us felt a flicker of hope when the Me Too movement appeared. I wondered if it might become a tipping point. Finally, I thought, women’s experiences and lives would be foregrounded. While I stand in awe at the persistence and courage of Gisèle Pelicot, her horrific experiences are a token of cultural modes that continue to treat women as second-class.
Are women ever really trusted, except perhaps as mothers? Even then, in Christian contexts women often find that we are still held up against the impossible standard of Mary, the woman who is typically defined by her motherhood and yet remains “virginal” and “spotless.” None of us can match up to that.
