Pakistani Women in Academia: Mid-Career Challenges and Opportunities

Introduction

Midcareer challenges for women in academia in Pakistan is the focus of this chapter. I took this opportunity to present that midcareer challenges may be different for Pakistani women in academia compared to those faced by Pakistani men or women in less patriarchal societies (such as many countries in the west), if not in entirety than most certainly in intensity. I want to bring forth the advice for those who are stuck in the mid-career phase; from those women who have overcome the challenges within Pakistan and have crossed the midcareer stage.

What are the midcareer challenges for women in patriarchal societies like Pakistan? Before I get into the challenges, it is important to explain the context of Pakistan, especially in relation to women in academia. The ‘context’ in case of Pakistani women academics plays a huge role, perhaps bigger than the organisational or personal factors. I consciously use the terms organisational or personal factors, because the culture dictates the internalisation of the patriarchal system that the women grow up with, as part of how they view themselves (Fakhr & Messenger, 2020) and how the female gender gets performed. Thus, the cultural factors also become personal and organisational factors and the key reasons why women are often unable to progress beyond the mid-career stage in academia.