Women in the forefront

New Delhi—This week, two significant announcements impacting women’s empowerment deserve attention on a global scale. The first is the groundbreaking move from the Vatican, which has appointed Sister Simona Brambilla as the prefect tasked with overseeing all Catholic Church religious orders. She is the first woman to hold the post.

Sister Brambilla, 59, is a Consolata Missionary, a religious order member and has been the second in command in the order’s department since last year. Her recent appointment marks a significant step in Pope Francis’ aim to give women more leadership roles in governing the Church. Before 2022, it was hard to imagine a woman leading a Vatican dicastery, but that changed when Pope Francis introduced “Praedicate evangelium.”

This document reformed the governance of the Roman Curia. It made all offices known as “dicasteries,” and allowed people not ordained as priests or bishops to run Vatican offices.

Some time ago, a significant Vatican summit of global Catholic leaders emphasized the importance of giving women more critical leadership roles within the Church. Cardinals, bishops, and citizens from 100 countries attended the meeting which discussed the issue of women’s empowerment within the Church.

The proposal concerning women deacons received a 258-97 vote favoring it. Pope Francis also granted women the right to vote for the first time, which reflected his desire to give women more extraordinary decision-making powers in the Catholic Church’s affairs. It was also a significant step toward gender equality within what has always been viewed as a conservative sector. The Pope created two Vatican commissions as well to consider ordaining women as deacons.

The second announcement is the resignation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Linked to that is the race to replace him.

Trudeau has been in power for a decade marked with successes and challenges. He planned to run for a fourth term in this year’s election but had to quit amid mounting challenges such as inflation, housing issues, and immigration, which weakened the Liberal Party.

Anita Anand, the current Transport minister and a senior member of Canada’s Liberal Party, is a prominent candidate in the race. Among other potential contenders for Trudeau’s post are Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne, and former central banker Mark Carney. Candidates must declare their intention to run and pay the 350,000 Canadian dollars entry fee by Jan. 23.

Anand was born and raised in rural Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1985, she moved to Ontario, where she and her husband, John, raised four children in Oakville. If elected, Anita Anand would make history as Canada’s first female prime minister of color and Asian Indian descent. Her election could mark a turning point in Canadian history, particularly regarding women’s empowerment in politics.

Anand was first elected as the member of parliament for Oakville in 2019. From 2019 to 2021, she served as the minister of public services and procurement. She later became the president of the Treasury Board and the minister of national defense.

Canada has a sizable Asian Indian diaspora. But the relationship between Canada and India has become tense in recent months. The tension began when Trudeau accused India of being involved in the shooting of a Khalistani terrorist outside a Sikh temple in Surrey in June 2023. New Delhi suspended new Canadian visas. It also requested Canada to reduce its diplomatic presence in India, aside from recalling its high commissioner Sanjay Verma from Ottawa. Several other diplomats and officials were also recalled.

Trudeau’s successor must tackle this controversy and policy challenges to restore the Liberal Party’s reputation. The main challenge is to improve the party’s image, which has declined over the past 10 years of Trudeau’s leadership. The successor must repair strained ties with India and the United States and manage the immigration backlog, which will need careful planning and a strong leadership. The decisions made in the coming months will significantly impact Canadian politics and the progress of women’s empowerment in the country.

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The Philippine Daily Inquirer is a member of the Asia News Network, an alliance of 22 media titles in the region.