Vatican: Washing Machine Liberated Women In 20th Century

March 9, 2009 10:22 p.m. EST

London, U.K. (AHN) - The washing machine, more than the contraceptive pill and the right to work, liberated women in the 20th century by relieving them from the hard work of household chores, the Vatican's official newspaper has said.

The L'Osservatore Romano was citing the Holy See's answer to the question "What contributed most to the emancipation of Western women?" as part of the newspaper's feature article marking the International Women's Day on Sunday.

"Some say it was the pill, others the liberalization of abortion, or being able to work outside the home. But the true contributor was the washing machine," the L'Osservatore Romano quoted the Vatican as saying.

The Vatican's choice of answer reflected Pope Benedict XVI's rejection of the contraceptive pill, which the Roman Catholic Church opposes.

The article traced the history of the washing machine and quoted American feminist Betty Friedan as saying that the ubiquitous appliance gave women great power by allowing them to change bed sheets twice a week.