Institutionalized symbolic inclusion expands women’s visibility without transforming decision-making authority in rural village governance

Gender equality has been widely promoted through global development agendas, particularly SDG 5, which emphasizes women’s participation in governance as a key indicator of inclusive development. However, increased presence does not always translate into meaningful influence. This study examines how women’s inclusion is enacted in everyday village governance and why participation does not consistently lead to decision-making power. The research employed a qualitative multi-site case study design in two rural Indonesian villages where gender inclusion initiatives had been formally integrated into governance practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 37 participants and non-participant observations of meetings and planning forums. The findings show that women’s inclusion is enacted through visible participation, structured interactional roles and administrative expectations of representation. Although women are regularly invited into governance spaces, their participation remains shaped by moral expectations, interactional restraint and leadership norms that continue to center authority around male actors. The study advances gender and governance scholarship by conceptualizing inclusion as a layered institutional process in which visibility, representation and participation can expand simultaneously without substantially redistributing decision-making authority. These findings demonstrate how inclusion may become normalized within governance systems while existing power structures remain largely intact.