“America is 20 years behind India”: Shobhaa De’s sharp take on women at work – The Times of India

Shobhaa De has never been one to mince words, and at the Jaipur Literature Festival 2026 press conference, she didn’t disappoint the audience. The author and columnist spoke about the true feminism and the need for better gender equality , especially at the workplace. Cut straight to the heart of modern feminism. Forget hashtags or hot takes – according to De, financial independence is the real game-changer that empowers women to break free from unfair systems. It’s the quiet strength that turns awareness into action.Picture this: A woman knows she’s being shortchanged at work or home, but hesitation creeps in. Why? As De put it bluntly, “They hold back because they are not aware of their position legally, and they don’t have the resources to fight in a court of law because they’re not earning their own money.” It’s a sobering reality check. Without that economic backbone, pushback feels risky – almost impossible. But De sees hope ahead. “At the end of the day, it all comes back to being financially independent,” she declared. And for the next generation? “I already see change unfolding. Younger women are far better placed to assert their agency.”Balancing energiesThe conversation then shifted to the trendy talk of “masculine and feminine energy”. De, a practising Hindu, reframed it beautifully as coexistence, not competition between genders. “I completely accept the concept of male and female energy. It’s a beautiful balance. They can’t exist in isolation,” she shared. Both men and women carry these energies within, ready to tap into as needed. Imagine a world awake to that harmony? “It will be a better world,” she shared.The relentless pressure on working womenThen came the raw truth about workplace woes. Are women expected to be flawless superwomen? De didn’t sugarcoat it: Pressure hits everyone, but women face a microscope. “In a work environment, they look at how a woman dresses, her body language, how she negotiates,” she observed. Snag a promotion? Don’t expect pure merit credit – other “reasons” get whispered. “If she gets a promotion, they will attribute other reasons. They’re very reluctant to give her credit for merit,’ she said.And it’s not just India. “America is at least two decades behind India when it comes to work environment for women,” De fired back, calling out overt objectification abroad.At nearly 80, with her latest book ‘The Sensual Self: Explorations of Love, Sex & Romance’ still turning heads, Shobhaa De remains a force. She’s outspoken, sometimes polarizing, but always authentic. Indian women, she insists, already possess “an assertive dignity within themselves.” The challenge? Harness it and charge forward.Do you agree with De’s viewpoints about the importance of financial independence for women and the need for better gender equality at the workplace? Tell us in the comments below.