#SorryThankYouTataByeBye to Patriarchy

By Akshay Tarfe
29 Nov, 2021

Oxfam India says #SorryThankYouTataByeBye to patriarchy; the musical collaboration pushes for creating enabling environment for girls through better education, healthcare, and livelihoods than reductive measure like increasing age of marriage

New Delhi, 29 November, 2021: Oxfam India and Agents of Ishq have joined hands to push for delay in the girl’s age of marriage through a new song that advocates for better opportunities and enabling environment for them. The song says #SorryThankYouTataByeBye to patriarchy and demands greater voice for girls from decision makers in matters related to their life such as age of marriage.

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

Watch the song here

The songs come in the backdrop of the United Nations marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence from 25 November to 10 December. The global theme this year is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”.

“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 progressive step on the onset but it will end up criminalizing families of 63% 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.

The six-minute-long video song is trying to convince youth, civil society, masses and governments to grasp the complexity of the issue of age of marriage for girls, choice, and agency. It also hopes to trigger a nuanced discussion on the issue of raising age of marriage as the decision will disproportionately affect women and girls from Dalit and Adivasi communities.

Amita Prite, Lead, Gender Justice at Oxfam India said, “ The government data itself is showing us that child marriage is reducing due to increase in education, skilling, healthcare and jobs. When girls can study further and earn money, it causes a change in attitude and a willingness to invest in them and delay their marriages. We urge everyone to use this song and work towards holistic development of girls and women to delay their marriage.”

For more queries, please contact Akshay Tarfe ( +918767980522)

About Oxfam India

Oxfam India is a movement of people working to end discrimination and create a free and just society. We work to ensure that Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims, and women and girls have safe violence-free lives with freedom to speak their mind, equal opportunities to realize their rights, and a discrimination-free future.

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