Despite 24 years of gender mainstreaming efforts, Indonesia's gender development remains limited. In 2022, Indonesia ranked 109th out of 190 countries on the Gender Inequality Index (GII), positioning it slightly above the global average but behind several Southeast Asian neighbours, including the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. This paper analyses how gender equality, within the framework of gender mainstreaming, is perceived and constructed by key stakeholders. Data was collected from online media discourse, supplemented by interviews and survey results, to explore stakeholders' understanding of gender equality and the construction of gender mainstreaming initiatives. This study critiques the bureaucratic constraints hindering the success of gender mainstreaming in Indonesia.