The intimacy between erotic capital and career ascent in Pakistani academia

What is it about?

Positioning itself against the assumption that Pakistani women are repressed in the country’s male-dominated academic spaces, our study flags the strategic deployment of erotic capital by some women academics for career advancement. It reveals the hitherto unexplored involutions of gender and sexuality in Pakistan’s higher education sector, examining how certain women navigate social sensitivities and double standards to leverage self-sexualization as a means of professional survival amidst masculine power structures. While acknowledging the objectification of women academics, this paper challenges the perception of them solely as victims of sexual abuse and reveals how they use their understanding of gendered dynamics to secure promotions and power. Drawing on qualitative data, our study uncovers how such practices undermine merit-based growth and further disadvantage women already marginalized in Pakistan’s patriarchal academic canvas. By tactfully deploying erotic capital, these individuals create a self-serving path to success, potentially eroding collective progress for women academics. Without aiming to stoke controversy or stereotype women negatively, ths paper breaks the silence on injustices arising from erotic politics in academia. It calls for protective measures to address inequities caused by manipulative practices, advocating for a more equitable and merit-based environment in Pakistan’s higher education sector.

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