Women's Participation in the Holy Week Processions in Ferrol (Galicia-Spain)

Women's participation in the world of confraternities has intensified considerably in recent decades. The increasing visibility of women in these public expressions of religious fervour continues to arouse curiosity, at the very least, and is still regarded by the media as being newsworthy. In the Galician town of Ferrol, the process of women's incorporation into the local confraternities is singular in that although it has been slow and gradual, it has never been perceived as something unusual or exceptional. Although not always straightforward, the transition has been accepted as normal and its progress has been steady and unhindered, without causing any ruptures or requiring the need for diocesan intermediaries, unlike the case of other Spanish Holy Week processions. The aim of this article is to attempt to explain the historical and social circumstances that have facilitated the integration of women in the world of confraternities in Ferrol.