SOfOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia Vol. 23, No. 2 (2008), pp. 161-85 DOI: 10.1355/sj23-2a © 2008 ISEAS ISSN 0217-9520 print / ISSN 1793-2858 electronic Perspective versus Practice: Women's Leadership in Muhammadiyah Kurniawati Hastuti DEWI This study examines Muhammadiyah's views on women's leadership that play a signifioant role in determining whether the demand for women's leadership in the movement, based on the oase of the 45th Muhammadiyah Muktamar in July 2005, wili be met, This paper presents the disorepancy between these perspeotives and contemporary praotioes, and assesses the endorsements of the textuai approaoh for understanding divine messages on women, the male hegemonic sentiment, and the rejection of the affirmative action rule for accommodating women in the Muhammadiyah centrai board. Findings suggest that the views of Muhammadiyah followers have shifted towards favouring women's leadership, and are presently a crucial factor in improving the status of women. Keywords: Muhammadiyah, women's leadership, religious perspectives, religious practices, gender issue. Introduction A challenge Muhammadiyah' faces in the Indonesian Reform Era is in the discourse on Muslim women's status and role (Soeratno 1998, p. 89). As the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Muhammadiyah's approach to women's status including women's leadership has a strong impact on public discourse on women. The 45th Muhammadiyah Muktamar in Malang, held on July 2005, was a monumental event compared to the previous Muktamar in that it highlighted a strong demand for a minimum of two seats for women on the Muhammadiyah central hoard {Jawa Pos 2005). Mass media coverage of those opposing and those supporting a greater