A unique music video by Oxfam India and Agents of Ishq has raised a very important question relating to the age of marriage for girls.

Choice, and not law, should be the guiding principle. This is the message of the video produced to empower young women to bring a shift in their attitude towards matrimony.

Aptly titled “SorryThankYouTataByeBye,” the new feminist video song is sending out the right vibes and is becoming a trendsetter. In line with the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Campaign, this video uses music, dance, and comedy to drive home the point that a girl's choice matters more than any law passed by the government. The artists in the video demand a greater voice for girls from decision-makers in matters that deeply concern them. 

The video song 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.

The song comes in the backdrop of the United Nations’ 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence held from 25 November to 10 December every year. The global theme for 2021 is “Orange the World: End Violence against Women Now!”

“We need to take a hard look at the 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 criminalizing families of 63 percent 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.

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

“India is a country of songs and singing, and songs have the power to tell big truths in a relatable and emotionally resonant way. Young women describing their frustrations as well as expressing their desires for their lives in a playful, engaging music video, centralize their perspectives in the popular domain. This helps trigger open conversations across generations and genders and creates a culture that empowers girls organically. If a song gives you pleasure, its ideas are more likely to become your ideas and ideas change the world,”  Paromita Vohra, filmmaker and founder of Agents of Ishq said.

Amita Prite, Lead, Gender Justice at Oxfam India said, “The government data itself shows us that the incidence of child marriages is on the decline 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.”