Why Catholic YouTubers Favour Male Creators Over Women:

Examining Visibility, Authority, and Bias in Catholic Online Media

Something has been bothering me for quite a while, and now it’s time I shared it with you. And maybe you can add to the conversation. Why are Catholic women creators so often sidelined in Catholic digital spaces?

Catholic YouTube has become one of the most influential spaces for evangelisation, apologetics, and faith-based commentary. Yet for many viewers, especially Catholic women, a troubling pattern is hard to ignore.

I have a Catholic YouTube Channel. Although I have well over 1,400 subs, I struggle to get many views per video. In this post, I share what prompted me to research and what I discovered.

It is a fact that male Catholic creators dominate the platform, and they consistently receive more views, more followers, and more collaboration opportunities than their female counterparts.

This reality isn’t about attacking Catholic men or questioning their contributions. Instead, it’s about asking an honest and necessary question: why are Catholic women creators so often sidelined in Catholic digital spaces?

Catholic Authority Is Coded as Male

In Catholic culture, authority is often associated with ordained ministry and formal theological roles; therefore, positions are held exclusively by men. Online, this usually leads to the assumption that male voices are more credible or “serious,” especially when discussing theology, Church teaching, or cultural issues.

Catholic women creators, even those with strong theological formation, are often framed as offering “personal reflections” rather than authoritative insights. This framing quietly limits reach, respect, and engagement.

Apologetics Culture Rewards Masculine Communication Styles

Catholic YouTube heavily favours debate-driven content: reaction videos, confrontational apologetics, and public disputes. These formats tend to reward assertiveness, dominance, and verbal sparring, traits culturally associated with men.

It is my personal experience as a YouTuber that women who enter these spaces face a double standard:

Speak gently, and be dismissed as weak or uninformed
Speak confidently, and be labelled aggressive or prideful

As a result, many Catholic women are discouraged from participating; even worse, they leave altogether.

YouTube’s Algorithm Amplifies Existing Inequality

In my research on this topic, I have discovered that YouTube promotes what already performs well. Early success leads to more recommendations, which in turn lead to more subscribers, which in turn lead to even more visibility.

Because male Catholic creators have historically gained traction earlier and have mostly collaborated with other men, the algorithm reinforces their dominance. Catholic women creators, even with excellent content, often struggle to break through this cycle. I call it the YouTube Glass ceiling!

Unconscious Bias Among Viewers

Audience behaviour plays a significant role. Many Catholics, and often quite unintentionally, default to male voices for theology and teaching while turning to women primarily for inspiration or lifestyle content.

Statements like:

“I prefer hearing theology from men”
“She’s good, but I don’t watch women for apologetics”
“Women should focus on feminine topics”
“Women should stay in the kitchen, being the weaker vessel”
“Women should not teach or share their faith publicly”

These attitudes shape clicks, shares, donations, and long-term growth.

Catholic Women Are Pressured to Stay in Narrow Roles

Catholic women creators are often encouraged to focus on:

Modesty and femininity
Marriage and motherhood
Homemaking and personal devotion

I know that these topics are valuable, but when women speak on Church leadership, abuse scandals, politics, or theology, they are far more likely to face criticism or accusations of pride or disobedience. I know that from experience.

Men are rarely told to “stay in their lane.”

The Cost of Harsher Scrutiny

Catholic women YouTubers frequently experience:

More personal attacks than men,
Comments focused on appearance instead of content
Greater backlash for mistakes
Accusations of vanity or self-promotion

Over time, this discourages consistency and sustainability, which leads many women to scale back or leave the platform entirely. But I don’t want to leave the platform. Nor do I believe that God wants me to. I have a lifetime of experience and in theology to share with those who will hear. And I can not believe that God wants me to keep it all to myself. My focus is the salvation of souls, and isn’t that worthy of being heard or watched?

Why This Matters for the Church

Women make up the majority of practising Catholics worldwide. When Catholic women’s voices are minimised online, the Church’s digital witness becomes incomplete.

Supporting Catholic women creators does not weaken Catholic teaching or male leadership, and it does not go against scripture if taken in context. In fact, the ministry of both men and women strengthens evangelisation by reflecting the fullness of the Body of Christ.

What Can We Do Differently?

This issue isn’t about competition, but it is about conscious discipleship in the digital age.

Jesus entrusted the first witness of his resurrection to a woman, so why should the digital age embrace the God-given ministry gifts of women on YouTube?

If Catholic YouTube is truly about truth, charity, and evangelisation, then it must: