Gender distribution refers to the distribution or proportion of individuals by gender within

a specific population, region, or sector. According to the Indonesian Central Statistics Agency

(BPS) regarding Thematic Gender Statistics in the Profile of Indonesian Women, this term is

essential for analyzing how the population is divided and how roles, rights, and access to

resources are distributed equitably. Technically, gender distribution is used to detect inequality

or imbalance in various fields, including employment, education, and political and religious

participation. This analysis is crucial for policymakers in determining whether one gender

provide accommodating stimulation and opportunities ("leaders are built, not born").

However, empirical dynamics within the Maria Ratu Damai Walian Tomohon Parish Pastoral

Council (DPP) show contradictory anomalies. Based on field interview data, nearly 99% of

informants stated that the Strategic Area Coordinator position is completely dominated by

men. Over the past 39 years, women's involvement at the core leadership level has been very

affirms that lay leadership in the Catholic Church is an essential task rooted in the Sacrament

of Baptism, which provides full participation in the threefold office of Christ: Priest, Prophet,

and King. DG 84 emphasizes genuine collaboration, regardless of gender, for the good of the

Church. When strategic leadership positions in parishes are dominated by one gender, the

Church indirectly neglects the gifts and talents of women. This inequality creates a "glass

ceiling" phenomenon, where women's active involvement and vertical mobility encounter an

invisible yet very strong barrier.

On the other hand, normative interpretations of the laity are often biased. Sugianto &

Maranatha (2019) explain that the laity are often negatively defined as non-clerical, non-

professional, and merely assistants to the hierarchy (the clergy-laity dichotomy). This

marginalized view exacerbates the layered marginalization of lay women. Therefore, this

phenomenon of women's leadership within the lay community at the Maria Ratu Damai

Walian Catholic Church in Tomohon City. The researcher acted as the primary instrument,

going directly into the field to collect data from key informants and related stakeholders,

including women serving as leaders of the parish pastoral council, prayer groups, catechists,

community administrators, and social service leaders. Data collection was conducted through a

combination of three techniques (triangulation): semi-structured, in-depth interviews

documented with a voice recorder with the informants' permission; long-term direct participant

observation of the social situation, church activities, and sociocultural documents within the

parish; and analysis of official documents such as pastoral guidelines, activity reports, and

internal church publications.

validity of findings is checked through credibility testing through extended observation,

increased diligence, and triangulation of techniques and sources; transferability testing to

ensure the study results can be applied to similar socio-religious contexts; and dependability

and confirmability testing through an independent audit of the entire research process

(Sugiyono, 2024). Furthermore, the entire research process was conducted with high research

ethics, including the implementation of informed consent, guaranteeing the anonymity and

confidentiality of informants, and granting respondents full freedom to withdraw from

research participation at any time.

Ratu Damai Parish Executive Board (DPP) in Tomohon

Parish Executive Board (DPP) in Tomohon is influenced by a complex cluster of barriers.

forums. These psychological barriers are a residue of cultural conditioning that places

women in domestic-subordinate roles. Consequently, women choose to remain in their

comfort zones, such as being active in informal categorical groups or working behind the

scenes, despite possessing considerable intellectual capacity. This situation contradicts the

functionalization of lay leadership formulated by Widyawati & Kanja (2023), who assert

that the role of lay people, including women, encompasses leadership of pastoral councils,

catechesis, and active social and humanitarian service.

professionally must independently shoulder domestic responsibilities upon returning

home. Although research shows that husbands provide verbal support (permission) for

that this sociological inequality triggers extreme physical and mental burnout for women,

preventing them from accepting parish managerial responsibilities that require both

physical energy and time.

Tomohon City, as an integral part of the Minahasa Tribe, have historically been

influenced by a strong patriarchal structure in constructing the ideal leader figure

(Pangalia & Mantiri, 2020). This view experiences a false syncretism with the structural

reality of the Church; because the figure of the Parish Priest is male, the congregation

mistakenly projects that all lower hierarchical positions must be held by men to maintain

the legitimacy of power. This social barrier is exacerbated by the anxiety of social

required. Referring to the feminist framework cited by Nope (2015), this doctrine supports

equal social and political rights and initiates broad social change to increase women's

power and bargaining power. The first urgent operational solution is to organize

continuing education programs, such as leadership courses, conflict management training,

public speaking techniques, and entrepreneurship training (financial independence). This

character-based education aligns with the view of Pangalila, Pasandaran, & Essing (2022)

that the essence of education is an effort to humanize humans, thus producing individuals

who respect the dignity of others without gender barriers.

precedent in breaking down gender bias and shattering the "glass ceiling."

Laity (Apostolicam Actuositatem / AA Art. 12), which affirms the apostolate of the laity

as an integral right and obligation of the faithful acquired through the Sacrament of

Baptism, not merely a secondary delegation from the hierarchy (Hardawiryana, 2006).

Implementation of AA No. 12 requires a consistent pattern of collaboration between

fathers and mothers for the holistic growth of the faith of the congregation and their role

as social beings (Biringan, 2020).

Dual Track Approach, namely through structural policies (organizational rules) and

Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, which guarantees equal status for citizens

before the law and government without discrimination based on sex (Warman et al.,

2025). By providing space for women to occupy strategic positions, the Catholic Church

of Mary Queen of Peace Parish of Walian has made a significant contribution to

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