求教一句话中的语法及翻译问题！！！麻烦进来看的牛牛赏光~

ljwqlcl881703

These question are political in the sense that the debate over them will inevitably be less an exploration of abstract matters in a spirit of disinterested inquiry than an academic power struggle in which the careers and prfessional fortunes of many women scholars--only now entering the academic profession in substantial numbers--will be at stake, and with them the chances for a distinctive contribution to humanistic understanding, a contribution that might be an important influence against sexism in our society.
横线下and with them 怎么翻？包括and with them这句话的意思？接的是前面的什么？
小弟先谢谢了~~~

ljwqlcl881703

补充问下 them指代的是啥  求不沉~~~求解！！！