Saba Azad on ambitious women: 'Society still judges us at every step'
Synopsis
Saba Azad's interview cuts past feel-good feminism to name the structural reality: the system was built for men, and women pay the price twice over — judged for working, judged for not working. Her point about male ego being a product of conditioning, not character, is the sharpest thing said in this conversation.
Key Takeaways
Saba Azad said women must work twice as hard to prove themselves in a system built for male success.
She noted that women in many parts of India are still not free to work or make independent choices — a reality often invisible to urban audiences.
Saba linked male discomfort around strong women to patriarchal conditioning , not individual character flaws.
She argued that learning and acceptance — not resistance — are the path to genuine gender equity.
Her remarks highlight the double bind women face: judged whether they work or choose not to.
Actress Saba Azad, known for her role in 'Who's Your Gynac?', has spoken candidly about the persistent social barriers that ambitious women face in India, arguing that despite visible progress in urban spaces, the structural disadvantage for women remains deeply entrenched.
The Double Standard Women Navigate
Saba said that women are routinely held to a harsher standard than their male counterparts. 'Women often have to work twice as hard to prove themselves. We still live in a patriarchal society where judgment comes very quickly when it comes to women. The system has traditionally been built for men and their success,' she said.
She went further, drawing attention to a reality that metro-centric conversations often erase. 'In many parts of our country, women are still not allowed to work freely or make independent choices. We may not always see that reality in cities, but it exists,' she noted. 'So women constantly have to prove themselves, not just professionally but also at home. If they work, they are judged. If they do not work, they are judged again.'
How Patriarchal Conditioning Shapes Male Ego
When asked whether strong women continue to threaten male ego, Saba linked the reaction to social conditioning rather than individual failing. 'Men are often raised to believe they are superior to women, so when they encounter strong women, it can challenge their conditioning. Their ego gets hurt because they are not used to seeing women as equals,' she explained.
This observation connects to a broader pattern documented by sociologists — that gender hierarchies are reproduced not through explicit instruction but through normalised expectations embedded in family, education, and workplace structures.
A Path Forward: Learning Over Resistance
Saba was equally clear about what she believes can change the dynamic. 'But growth comes from learning. The moment we accept these truths instead of ignoring them, we can evolve and change,' she said. She added that her own instinct on meeting a strong woman is to learn from her, pointing to the often-overlooked emotional and cognitive labour women perform. 'Women multitask effortlessly and carry emotional strength in ways society often overlooks. There is so much to learn from them.'
The Weight of Endless Expectations
Saba concluded that the cumulative weight of societal expectations — at home, at work, and in public life — makes the struggle for ambitious women uniquely exhausting. Her remarks come at a time when conversations around gender equity in Indian workplaces and entertainment are gaining renewed visibility, with several women-led films and public figures challenging conventional narratives. Whether that cultural shift translates into structural change, she implied, remains the real test.
Point of View
But they also reflect how far mainstream entertainment discourse still is from structural analysis. Naming patriarchy is necessary — but the conversation rarely moves to who enforces it, how institutions sustain it, or what policy levers exist to dismantle it. India's female labour force participation rate remains among the lowest in the world for a major economy, yet the public debate stays at the level of individual attitude. Until the structural dimension is centred — in workplaces, in law, in education — interviews like this risk becoming cathartic rather than catalytic.
NationPress
8 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Saba Azad say about ambitious women in India?
Saba Azad said that women in India are forced to work twice as hard as men to prove themselves, because the social and professional system has historically been designed around male success. She also pointed out that women face judgment whether they choose to work or not.
Why does Saba Azad say male ego feels threatened by strong women?
She attributed it to patriarchal conditioning — men are often raised to see themselves as superior, so encountering women as equals disrupts that belief. She framed it as a product of socialisation rather than an inherent character trait, and said growth comes from unlearning that conditioning.
Which film is Saba Azad known for in this context?
Saba Azad is referred to in the context of her role in 'Who's Your Gynac?', a project that itself engages with themes around women's health and agency.
What solution did Saba Azad offer for gender inequality?
She emphasised learning and acceptance — arguing that acknowledging uncomfortable truths about gender hierarchy, rather than ignoring them, is the first step toward change. She cited her own practice of learning from strong women she encounters as an example.
Is the struggle for working women in India only an urban issue?
According to Saba Azad, no. She specifically noted that while urban India may not always see it, many women across the country are still not permitted to work freely or make independent choices — making the problem far wider than metropolitan conversations suggest.
