That is a debatable point, depending on your definition of leadership roles.  There is no evidence that women were preaching or teaching the entire, assembled church, and there certainly were no women elders.  But there is some evidence of woman taking significant roles in the church.  Some believe that Phoebe was described as a deaconess (Romans 16:1-2).  A deaconess is a leadership role.   There were female prophets in the New Testament, including Ana (Luke 2:36-38) and the four daughters of Philip (Acts 21:8-9.  Also, when describing the leader couple Pricilla and Aquila, it is notable that Pricilla is listed first–implying that she was more the power person in that important couple.

So, yes, there were women taking important leadership roles in the early church, but not women actually leading churches, and probably not women leading worship.  Was this for cultural reasons, or was it because God does not approve of women taking these roles?  That is the question which is debated among believers today.  I will leave that one up to you.

John Oakes