“Breaking the Glass“: When Woman Became a Leader in an Indonesian State University

This paper aims to show how the gender difference has been seen as a natural barrier for women, including access to some important positions in the equal work. By looking at phenomenon of women elected as University rector at the one of best university in Indonesia, this paper wants to show how it basically as an answer to tendency of mistakes in stereotyping women based on culture perspectives over the years. The recently tendency shows how women are considered as weak person and does not have ability to be a leader compared with male. It seems became a cultural barrier that tightly binding women that put women in the glass ceiling condition that seems have been transformed as a natural necessity and justification to undermines chances and opportunities. It means, effort to promote gender equality is important not only as a discourse but as a collective consciousness and actions. In the end, the gender difference is not actually as absolute and natural obstacle of women to compete equally with men in various fields. It should be seen as part of potential typical obstacles for women as well as men that also have their potential barriers too