Pope decries chauvinism, violence against women

Published: 2008-02-11

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI decried chauvinism and the "serious and relentless" exploitation, discrimination and violence being waged against the world's women. "There are places and cultures where women are discriminated against or undervalued just for the fact that they are women," he said Feb. 9 in remarks to participants attending a Vatican-sponsored international congress. The Feb. 7-9 congress, "Woman and Man: The 'Humanum' in Its Entirety," was organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity to mark the 20th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter, "Mulieris Dignitatem" ("On the Dignity and Vocation of Women"). The pope told some 250 participants during a special audience at the Vatican that discrimination can be the result of "religious arguments and family, social and cultural pressures" aimed at supporting "the disparity of the sexes."

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