Oxfam India releases video song demanding a greater voice for girls

By: WE Staff | Wednesday, 1 December 2021

Oxfam India and Agents of Ishq have released a video song of six-minute ‘#SorryThankYouTataByeBye to partriarchy’, amid the government's push to increase women’s marriage age to 21, demanding a greater voice for girls.

“We need to take a hard look at ground realities and violence faced by women and girls every day in India. Reductive measures like laws raising the minimum age of marriage for young women from 18 to 21 may look like a progressive step at the outset but it will end up criminalising families of 63 per cent of women in India who get married under the age of 21. Oxfam India is asking government and society to address systemic challenges faced by girls to create discrimination and violence-free environment for them through this song,” said Oxfam India CEO Amitabh Behar in a statement.

The issue of raising the age of marriage will disproportionately affect the women and girls from Dalit and Adivasi communities and the song hopes to trigger a nuanced discussion on the same.

The song which is made under Oxfam India’s #EmpowermentNotAge campaign will be used by social media influencers, feminist groups, communities and digital platforms across the country to show that improving young women’s lives through employment opportunities, better education and safety from violence all directly contribute to delaying marriage.

Every year, The United Nations’ Activism for 16 days against gender-based violence is held from 25 November to 10 December. “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!” is the global theme for 2021.