<p>This research tests the effect of spouses’ benevolent sexism on the career success of academic women in dual-career academic couples. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), in this study, the relationships between spouses’ benevolent sexism, career commitment, family-to-work conflict, and two dimensions of career success among 137 academic women in China are tested. This study hypothesizes that spouses’ benevolent sexism negatively affects career commitment, which in turn impacts objective career success, while also exacerbating family-to-work conflict, which subsequently affects subjective career success. This research also investigates the moderating role of parenthood in these relationships. The results show that spouses’ benevolent sexism significantly reduces career commitment, which in turn negatively affects objective career success. Moreover, spouses’ benevolent sexism increases family-to-work conflict, leading to lower subjective career success. Parenthood moderates these effects, amplifying the challenges for academic women. These findings contribute to ambivalent sexism theory and the literature on academic women by demonstrating how subtle forms of sexism affect academic women’s academic careers, particularly when they are navigating the competing demands of family and career. This research offers valuable insights for promoting gender equity and supporting academic women in balancing their career and family responsibilities.</p>