Women and the church

[judge-minos]

Hi everyone,
I have a model that looks like a big nun with a power axe and I am having a problem to create a good fluff story for her.

Does anybody knows if in the 40k women can be part of the eclesiarchy in other ways then joining the sister of battle, like Preachers, missionaries or drill abbotts ??

Thanks

[MarcoSkoll]

I quote from the Dark Heresy rulebook: "...The Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition likewise employ females at all ranks, but again, their numbers are not in proportion to men..."
In short, yes, they can.

In long: Only very few things in 40k are gender restricted. For two obvious examples, Space Marines must be male and Sororitas must be female. Other than that, most things can be done by either gender, although men are still more likely to hold positions of power, wealth and importance than women.

drill abbots

Don't be silly. An abbot is male - she'd be an abbess.

I'm actually writing such a character at the moment. Females can be Guard Veterans as well, and there must be some uses for female teaching staff at the Scholas...

[judge-minos]

I quote from the Dark Heresy rulebook: "...The Ecclesiarchy and the Inquisition likewise employ females at all ranks, but again, their numbers are not in proportion to men..."
In short, yes, they can.

In long: Only very few things in 40k are gender restricted. For two obvious examples, Space Marines must be male and Sororitas must be female. Other than that, most things can be done by either gender, although men are still more likely to hold positions of power, wealth and importance than women.

That's true but you will agree that in books and codexes we found always examples or pictures of female characters for every sort but never for the eclesiarchy  

Quote
drill abbots
Don't be silly. An abbot is male - she'd be an abbess.

Ahem ! , of course I  was giving the known names which are mostly masculine (that's my story and I stick to it)

My character looks very much like a big fat nun with a chain axe, I was thinking she was a veteran guardsman which had become a priestess in a small temple. During an attack the temple would be destroyed, in the aftermath she would meet the Inquisitor, help her and then decide to join her cause . She would be a very no nonsense kind of woman and offer her service to train new recruit both physically and in the spirit

Critics welcome

[Myriad]

That certainly works.  As with all questions about the ecclesiarchy, it should be mentioned that the faith is exceedingly diverse and some parts of the organisation are probably more male dominated than others.  It does seem from the fluff that most preachers are male, and I'd guess this probably reflects the societies they tend to be drawn from.

In short, what Marco said (as usual  ).

[precinctomega]

There is no reason why a Sororitas of any order could not be employed as a drill abbess.  As a general rule, members of the Ecclesiarchy who are female are invariably also members of some order of the Adepta Sororitas.  However, it is feasible that they might not be.  If they should be ordained in a system where there's no Sororitas presence, for example, or comes to the Church through circumstances later in life, when the Sororitas prefers to induct recruits young.

Generally speaking, though, a female preacher will likely be a retired member of the militant orders, or one with additional duties as well as being a member of an order familias or dialogous.  I imagine even a sister hospitaller might be called on to minister to a patient's spiritual needs as often as to the medical ones.

R.