Indonesian Women’s Civil Service Leadership: Analysis of Career Progression Opportunity and Constraint

Women in Indonesia’s civil service (n = 320) were surveyed about their career advancement. Analysis of variance identified differences in career progression, and post-hoc comparisons were tested using Fisher’s Least Significant Difference method. We found that family support and interpersonal relationships, paired with superior education to men, were critical to women’s successful leadership progression, especially through the echelon ranks. Qualitative results suggest that interpretations of hadith outweighed more contemporary textual readings, which required strategic maneuvering if women wanted to advance. This is because women’s own career aspirations required their ongoing loyalty to men and strategic maneuvering among filial, societal, and organizational constraints.