This chapter examines the persistent gender inequalities within Pakistan’s public sector higher education and situates them within wider South Asian patterns. Despite increased female participation at entry levels, women remain concentrated in lower-tier, contractual positions and are starkly underrepresented in senior leadership roles. Drawing on feminist institutionalism, gendered organizational theory, and the concept of social capital, the study highlights how structural, cultural, and relational dynamics reproduce gendered hierarchies. Using an interpretivist methodology and semi-structured interviews with faculty at a public university in Lahore, the research uncovers the ways in which employment structures such as the Tenure Track System, informal male-dominated networks, and entrenched sociocultural expectations constrain women’s academic progression. Findings show that female academics are disproportionately excluded from research opportunities, leadership pathways, and permanent contracts, while also carrying the additional burden of domestic responsibilities and undervalued institutional labor. The analysis underscores that these barriers are not individual but systemic, embedded in patriarchal institutional logics and social norms. The paper concludes by calling for structural reforms, gender-sensitive policies, and cultural transformation to advance genuine equity, moving beyond token representation toward inclusive academic environments.