AbstrakIndonesian womens leadership in the public domain is not well promoted and sustained.This research examined womens perspectives on female leaderships in Indonesia, barriers towomens leadership and qualities of an ideal female leader. Qualitative interviews, focus groupdiscussions and informal dialogues were conducted with 30 female community members, university students, lecturers, professionals, and womens activists. Respondents were between19 and 60 years of age, literate, and were working or living in Jabodetabek Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, Bekasi areas. Findings from this study suggest a narrow symbolic idealization of a heroic woman leader. Womens perspectives and inspiration were also explained by an embodiment of female gendered qualities of being patience, sincere, being approachable and having a strong interest women focused issues. In turn, this conceptualization may also poses barriers to a large scale of creative social change process in womens empowerment in public leadership. This research offers in depth understanding of the complexity of current barriers to and consistent stigmatization against womens leaders in Indonesia.