This is not just in the Catholic Church - there is an ongoing battle in the Church of England re Women Bishops! Watch this space!

Last year I had the honour and pleasure of attending a conference on "Women in Islam". On another tack, I found it interesting that the chair and one member of the panel were Indian, female, Muslim and both wearing open-neck blouses and had long, flowing hair. Two members of the panel were English, female, converts to Islam and both wearing headscarves and coats buttoned up to the neck!

The last member of the panel was male, Indian and Muslim.

The discussion got quickly round to the role of women in the mosque and the lonely male panel member got equally quickly onto the immense value of work done by women out in the community - this was as important as what happened inside the mosque, handled of course by men. Nada, nada, nada! Watch this space too!

It's a big world out there and it's inhabited by men - and women!

Eddie