Cervical cancer is fourth most common form of cancer affecting women globally, and the second most common cancer affecting women in Indonesia, after breast cancer. With consistently rising incidence of this disease and extremely poor survival rates at just 57% of women diagnosed (after 5 years), it is critical to explore why survival rates for Indonesian women are so low. This paper draws on ethnographic case studies with 31 Indonesian women with a cervical cancer diagnosis gathered between 2019 and 2021. The analysis explores patterns of inequity in the timeliness of achieving diagnosis, in accessing and completing treatment, and in relation to women’s access to early detection via cervical screening. The findings examine how inequity is driven by a range of health system factors, aspects of women’s personal situation such as geography, education and income-status, and widespread misperceptions about who is at risk.