I used to think that, too, but I don't really know for sure. It's just my opinion. I do not believe that a lay woman would be given a gift of reading souls. I'm not really certain that it is a good thing for a priest to have hidden knowledge about a soul. In the scriptures, only Jesus had that gift as far as I can tell.
Only men were given the privilege of writing scripture. Only men are given the privilege of writing encyclicals. Only men can administer the sacraments.
I didn't say I like it or it is fair. That's just the way it is. When I see women exhibiting some of these so-called gifts usually given to men, I get suspicious. Why have a woman lay hands on you non-sacramentally when you can request and receive the sacrament of annointing?
I'm not sure that women spoke in tongues back when that gift was genuine.
Administration of the Church and the priesthood is not the same as having a gift of the Holy Spirit.
In the scriptures, only Jesus had that gift as far as I can tell.
A woman (the Virgin Mary) bore the Redeemer and proclaimed His nature at His conception. A woman (the prophetess Anna) recognized the Savior at His Presentation in the Temple. A woman (Mary Magdalene) was the first to see the Risen Savior and proclaim the Resurrection to the disbelieving Apostles. The daughters of Phillip were said to be prophetesses.
The Catholic Church has had a multitude of female saints and mystics for 2000 years. Read Romans and Corinthians. Gender and the priesthood have never been a prerequiste for gifts of the Holy Spirit. Neither does Scripture teach that.
I'm not sure that women spoke in tongues back when that gift was genuine.
There is nothing in Scripture to support this belief. In fact, it is quite the opposite.
God, the Holy Spirit, is the principle Author of all Holy Scripture. He used humans as active instruments in producing the texts. There are large sections of Holy Scripture in which we are not positively sure who the human author was. We know there is a portion (at least) of one psalm that was written by a woman (the mother of a king). I don't have the specific citation just this moment, but I can get it for later.
The point is, God can work through whatever person He chooses in giving supernatural gifts - as 'Canticle of Deborah' pointed out. Deborah herself was a judge of Israel! Also, think of St. Bernadette or the child Lucia from Fatima in receiving and giving to the world the Church approved messages sent by God through His Mother, the ever-Blessed Virgin Mary.