It’s been 30 years since women were allowed to be priests in the Church of England, yet we are still fighting for equality
I am the vicar of a wonderful church in west London and love my work. My parishioners are a fabulously diverse group of people and they all recognise me as a priest and vicar. Most are unaware that some other churches would not accept me, just because I am a woman.
As we mark the 30th anniversary of the measure being passed which would allow women to be admitted into the Church of England priesthood, I celebrate the much greater range of positions that women now hold in the church, including senior roles. I could just choose to ignore the discrimination that remains. But it pains me to see some churches advertise for a new vicar and only accept applications from men who don’t accept female priests. And some other churches advertise only for a male vicar who doesn’t believe women can be church leaders, like vicars or bishops.
Rev Martine Oborne is a vicar in west London and chair of Watch (Women and the Church), a group that works for equality for women in the Church of England
