# Women have been priests in Sweden since 1960 – but the battle for gender equality in the Church continues

- Link: https://www.widthness.com/women-have-been-priests-in-sweden-since-1960-but-the-battle-for-gender-equality-in-the-church-continues/
- Published: 2026-09-26T09:15:00-05:00
- Author: Curated by Theresa Wysocki

Photo: Sweden’s first female priest, Dr. Margit Sahlin, on a visit to Ekaterinburg in March 1965. Photo credit: Brother Brandt / JOKA Journalistic Image Archive Västra Nyland / National Board of Antiquities. CC BY 4.0 International (resized to fit). Article by Frida Mannerfelt and Alexander Maurits. The Conversation – September 24, 2026. When Sarah Mullally was confirmed as the 106th archbishop of Canterbury, this meant a woman would become spiritual leader of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican communion for the first time in history. For many, it has been a welcome shift that recognises the importance of female leadership at all levels – both ecclesiastical and secular. But some within the Church took issue with Mullally’s accession. For example, the Global Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, a network of conservative Anglican churches across Africa and Asia, issued a statement declaring: “The majority of the Anglican Communion still believes that the Bible requires a male-only episcopacy.” Its members have refused to recognise her as their archbishop. […] Click here to view the original article at www.theconversation.com Photo: Official portrait of the Most Rev. and Rt Hon. the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury DBE Sarah Elisabeth Mullally © House of Lords / photography by Roger Harris. CC BY 3.0 Unported (resized to fit). Related articles: Trump World Is Determined to Man Up – Truthdig Melania Trump rings New York Stock Exchange opening bell to launch new women’s initiative Imperia – AP News In its push to subordinate women, the American right is embracing raunch – The Guardian DEI initiatives didn’t cost companies. Just the opposite. | Opinion – USA Today No Liberation Without Community: In One of Her Final Interviews, Gloria Steinem on Her New Memoir, Chosen Family and the Future of Feminism – Ms. Magazine Tradwives use feminism to fight feminism | Thinking Out Loud – The Daily Free Press Curated by Theresa Wysocki Director of Art & Design See Full Bio