Despite the Catholic Church's exclusion of women from ordered hierarchy, canonical and theological frameworks still permit their leadership within ecclesial institutions at both diocesan and parish levels.This study investigates the extent to which local Catholic structures in Indonesia provide meaningful opportunities for women's leadership in key organizational domains.Focusing on a diocese consisting of 60 parishes in Indonesia, the research employs document analysis of organizational structures and in-depth interviews to assess female representation in formal church leadership.Findings reveal that clericalism and patriarchal norms remain deeply entrenched, producing a dual glass ceiling: women are confined to functional roles while being regularly excluded from strategic decision-making positions.The paper argues that exclusive governance models compromise ecclesial vitality.It calls for a renewed leadership ecclesiology rooted in baptismal equality and authentic synodality, one that transcends ordained status and embraces co-responsibility across the People of God.
Widyawati et al. (2026) studied this question.