WHEN VOICES RISE, CHANGE FOLLOWS

Voices Unplugged: Sing, Speak, Stand! is a karaoke-based youth initiative that uses music as a tool for advancing gender equality, dignity, and rights. Rooted in community experiences, the programme turns awareness into action through creative engagement. A key innovation was the lyric-decoding exercise on popular Bollywood “item songs,” where participants critically examined stereotypes, objectification, and gender norms—without moralising—transforming everyday entertainment into a space for reflection and change.

Initiated in 2021, the Women’s Safety Accelerator Fund (WSAF) program seeks to build awareness, prevention, and effective response to gender-based violence (GBV within the tea industry by engaging management, staff, workers, and adolescents across 300+ tea estates in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala to create safer estates and communities for women and girls. A key focus has been strengthening response mechanisms by linking tea estates with government stakeholders such as District Social Welfare Departments, District Legal Services Authorities, and district-level helplines, with stakeholder visits improving awareness of services and access pathways. The program works closely with estate management to institutionalize systems to identify, track, and address violence against women (VAW) and to build understanding of legal frameworks including the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act. Simultaneously, WSAF identifies and builds the capacity of community-based agents of change— women Leaders, adolescent girls and boys, and youth leaders—who lead prevention efforts and share learnings through community meetings using culturally rooted mediums such as theatre, posters, films, songs, music, and Jhumur dance.

In the tea gardens of Assam—where generations of families have lived and worked, often on the margins of visibility—change does not always begin with policy documents or formal meetings. Sometimes, it begins with music.

Voices Unplugged: Sing, Speak, Stand! implemented across 11 tea estates in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts during the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, 25th November – 10th December 2025. This karaoke-based youth engagement initiative demonstrated how creative, community-rooted approaches can meaningfully advance gender equality, dignity, and rights. This programme offers a powerful example of how arts-based interventions can convert awareness into action.

Why This Initiative Matters

Aligned with the global theme “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls,” Voices Unplugged went beyond conventional awareness sessions. It used music—something deeply embedded in tea garden culture—as a bridge to conversations on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG), Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), consent, respect, and digital safety.

The strength of this initiative lies in its design and reach:

• Implemented in 11 tea estates across multiple management groups
• Engaged 200+ participants directly and 3,500+ community members as audience
• Ensured participation across management, staff, youth, women, men, frontline workers, children and community.

This breadth of engagement reinforces a critical message: Ending Violence against Women and Girls is not a “women-only” issue—it is a shared community responsibility.

Creativity as a Catalyst for Behaviour Change

What makes Voices Unplugged particularly compelling is its shift from passive awareness to active expression. Young people did not merely listen; they performed, reflected, questioned, and reimagined.

Through karaoke performances in Assamese, Adivasi, Jhumur, Hindi, and songs by icons like Bhupen Hazarika and Zubeen Garg, participants translated complex social issues into emotional, relatable narratives.

This approach:

• Reduced discomfort around sensitive topics
• Encouraged peer-to-peer dialogue
• Built confidence among adolescents and young women
• Positioned young men as allies and change agents

When programmes meet communities in familiar cultural spaces, participation deepens and messages endure.

Critical Engagement with Lyrics Decoding

A particularly innovative component was the lyric decoding exercise on Bollywood “item songs.” Rather than moralising, facilitators guided participants to critically examine lyrics—identifying stereotypes, objectification, and harmful gender norms, alongside empowering messages.

This exercise connected everyday media consumption to real-life attitudes and behaviours, linking popular culture directly to concepts of consent, bodily autonomy, and respect. Such critical thinking is essential for long-term norm change and aligns strongly with donor priorities around youth leadership and media literacy. Using short clips from popular songs and tracks, the activity created an interactive space where participants collectively examined the gender messages embedded in the lyrics.

One of the participants said by decoding the song Fevicol Se, Dabbang– “ Koi bhi mahila ya ladki tandoori murgi nahi jisse kaat ke kha ja sake…yeh bauhut galat hain” ( It is disrespectful to compare women with tandoori chicken)

Tu Cheez baadi hain mast mast, Mohra – ”Ek ladki ko object ke hisab se dekhna yeh sooch galat hain…hume unka samman karn chahiye” (Women should not be objectified. They deserve respect)

Tangible Outcomes, Visible Confidence

The outcomes of Voices Unplugged were both immediate and promising:

• Increased confidence and public speaking among youth
• Strong ownership of gender equity messages
• Emergence of youth-led advocacy through songs, rap, and social media content
• Greater awareness of Internal Committees, helplines, and support services

Importantly, young participants began creating positive and responsible digital content, signalling the programme’s relevance in addressing both offline and online violence.

A Human Story Behind the Numbers

Data tells one part of the story. Jasoda’s journey tells another.

At Pengaree Tea Estate in Tinsukia District, Jasoda stepped onto a public stage for the first time—not just to sing, but to reclaim her voice after years of silence. Supported by her husband, who brought her and their son to the venue, her performance symbolised a quiet but profound shift—from endurance to dignity, from fear to confidence.

Stories like Jasoda’s illustrate the true impact of investing in safe, creative spaces. These are the moments where transformation becomes real. Jashoda sang the famous song by Kumar Sanu from Bollywood movie ‘Jurm’ twisted the lyrics like – “Jab Koi baat Bigad Jaye, Jab koi Mushkil Padjaye…Tum call karlena … 181 pe…” ( Anytime you are in trouble, please call 181)

Here are few Songs sung by the participants during Voices Unplugged: Sing, Speak, Stand! Karaoke Competition:

• “Mera Mulk Mera Desh Mera Yeh Watan ….. Mur Sharir … Mur Tathya … Mur Adhikar …. Iske upor kisika naa haq hai mere yaar…..” ( It is my country, my body, my information, my rights, no one else has rights on them)
• “Pal Pal Dil ke paas tum rahetein ho ….. Jab kajiya ho samaj mein… tum chup mat rahena … Awaz uthao tum … Hingsa ko rok na…. Support karna mahilaon ko… ” (You are very close to my heart. Whenever there is trouble in society, do not stay quiet, seek help, stop violence, support the women)
• “Nari Mane shristi …Nari Mane Shakti… Nijer Sharir ouporat homman… heyay mukti…” (Women means creation, women means power, they deserve respect)

Key takeaway:

Involve Youth in a creative manner and their voices became tools for change – singing and performance helped young people speak confidently on issues of gender equality, rights, and digital safety.

Breaking silence through creativity – karaoke created a non-threatening space to discuss sensitive issues like violence against women and girls, both offline and online, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and Digital Safety.

Community participation increased – the open, fun format drew in peers, families, and community members, sparking conversations beyond the stage.

Messages were better retained – songs and lyrics made key messages on respect, consent, and safe digital behaviour memorable and relatable.

Collective action felt possible – the programme reinforced that when voices rise together, awareness grows and change follows.

Author : Santu Guchait