Catholic monastic life is generally built up on the segregation of men and women as a condition of ascetic life. However, nowadays female monasticism and male monasticism present significant disparities despite the fact that they most often follow the same rules of life. Can we explain these disparities by different religious norms of gender? Based on field observations, this article aims to explain such inequalities by placing them in their historical context and within Catholic gender norms. At the same time, we also have to take into account new dynamics in female monasteries, which aim to develop a new feminine identity in the context of the consecrated life.