Rekha Kalindi was only 11 years old when she said no to her forced marriage last year. Since then she's been speaking out against child marriage and encouraging girls across the country to complete their schooling. She's served as the inspiration for the #StrengthToSayNo social media campaign by Penguin Random House and Better India.
Kalindi's actions have been commended by the country's former president, Pratibha Patil, and her story has been published by Penguin Random House in The Strength To Say No. The publishing giant told Buzzfeed India that they hoped the campaign would allow people to speak up against injustices and social issues that just shouldn't be tolerated anymore.
"Rekha Kalindi’s story The Strength To Say No is one of courage and defiance in the face of incredible odds. We hope through this campaign we spread word about her as well as raise awareness of the plight of girls in her situation. They may not be in the space to raise their voices against child marriage, but we hope this campaign encourages the people of our nation to do so on their behalf," said a Penguin Random House representative to Buzzfeed India.
The social media campaign started trending on Twitter and Facebook, with users sharing issues that are affecting the country. It soon diverged into topics like women's rights and homophobia.
Other users took the opportunity to raise awareness about honour killings:
Others decided to take aim at marriage as mandatory for everyone:
Some users pointed out the inhumanity of subjecting children to this ancient practice.
Whatever you think of hashtag activism, #StrengthToSayNo is a step towards raising awareness about an issue that needs more voices condemning it.
Main Image Photo Credit: www.buzzfeed.com
Rumnique Nannar
Author
Rumnique Nannar is a new journalist with a passion for all things pop culture, film, and art. Rumnique was born in London, with a predilection for devouring English chocolate with her Vogue, ANOKHI, and Glamour magazines in tow. She is currently in her Journalism Masters at UBC. Connect ...
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