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Empowering women: the contribution of contemporary Catholic schools

Abstract In this article, it is argued that in Maltese government-dependent Catholic schools, girls are educated to become professionally prepared, personally empowered and predisposed to be of service to others. The empowerment of women, still a contentious issue within Catholic social teaching, is discussed briefly, in relation to the education of girls. A multi-site ethnography of 11 Maltese schools in this sector provides grounded data for the argument. The schools’ organisation policies, cultures of enrichment, academic programmes, disciplinary regimes and synthesis of faith and culture all contribute to a unique form of empowerment, where despite the mixed socioeconomic intake, girls’ achievements and aspirations for the future are extremely high. A final section asks how typical is the Maltese case, and whether, in addition to the three Ps of professional preparedness, personal empowerment, and predisposition for service, should be added the missing preparation for parenthood and/or the priesthood?