Spain's Easter Brotherhood Bans Women, Sparks Debate

0:00It's April 4th. Welcome to Canada News Today, powered by AI. One Brotherhood in Saguinto, Spain just voted to keep women out of their Holy Week procession, citing tradition and its blown up into national news. This stands out because Spain's Easter celebrations, some of the biggest in the world, usually welcome women in these events across cities and villages. Holy Week processions involve caring heavy floats with statues of Jesus and Mary for hours often starting early on Good Friday. In places like Baina and Montoro in Andalusia, women shoulder those floats right alongside men, decked in purple hoods and full of devotion. The Saguinto decision sparked street protests and backlash from the government, with folks calling it outdated. Meanwhile, families in other towns mix everyone in, waiting all year for their turn to join. Experts note that even as Spain gets more secular, participation in these brotherhoods is growing, and women have held roles for decades, from penitents to leaders, though some

1:00heavy lifts stay male only. At the end of the day, it's all about faith and heart, men and women sharing the same pool, proving tradition evolves when devotion runs deep.