Give our Girls a Stronger Tomorrow

To me, the vision for girls remains a Stronger Tomorrow. Whatever it is that a girl may choose to do, that she should have the means, the space, the happiness and comfort in accomplishing that is all that my vision implies. Lack ofeducation, violence and discrimination are the major threats to the empowermentofour girls. Orthodox mindsets have always questioned the need for equal rights forwomen. Forgirls to be independent andempowered, the mindset towards them needs to change - of everyone at every strata of the society.The future I see does not hold anything impossible for the girls of the world. A safe and secure environment, the choice to make a living in whichever way they want, and the right to live their lives doing whatever they may fancy without being deprived on account of their gender.

With this in mind, I wrote a song, which was performed by a band called Gilli, as a tribute for girls world over. Here's to you, young women, may you have a stronger tomorrow. This song was originally shared by The Red Elephant Foundation in 2015, but the message remains as strong as ever.

Yours truly,

An ally, a friend, a supporter, of the empowerment of girls and women.

Stronger Tomorrow:

Stronger Tomorrow, through its lyrics, establishes the fact that women are the makers of their own future, and the process begins with girls. The underlying message of the song for girls world over is that the world is theirs, and no one can take it away from them. Rendered from the perspective of Life, the song is a powerful assertion through art advocacy that women and girls, who hold up half the sky, have a rightful place under the sun, and that this is the foundation of a stronger future built on gender equality.

The song implores girls to break out of the shackles that bind them with assertiveness. Encouraging girls to speak up, speak out and speak against in their own way, the song alludes to the beautiful message of peace encapsulated by Mahatma Gandhi: In a gentle way, shake the world. It suggests a beautiful undercurrent of strength and inner power.

Credits:

Lyrics: Ashay Abbhi

Composition, Vocals and Programming: Gilli (Nrithya Maria Andrews, Vivin Kuruvilla and Vinay Ramakrishnan)

----Lyrics ----

Lift that hand a little higher,

move your legs a little faster,

talk when you talk a little softer,

don’t be happy girl be happier

And you stay through the dark,

get a hold of the light if you look hard enough,it will be bright

it could be happiness,

it could be sorrow,

there’ll always be my arms for you to borrow,

to hold you through today to a stronger tomorrow,

to a stronger tomorrow, to a stronger tomorrow

Lift that chin a little higher, smile a little wider,

why don’t you sing a little louder, why! why!

And you stay through the dark,

get a hold of the light if you look hard enough it will be bright

it could be happiness,

it could be sorrow,

there’ll always be my arms for you to borrow,

to hold you through today to a stronger tomorrow,

to a stronger tomorrow, to a stronger tomorrow

Dream tonight about the ‘morrow you want,

dream with your eyes open to have no want,

work a little more tonight, make your own way

just walk with me, walk with me into the day

And you stay through the dark,

get a hold of the light if you look hard enough it will be bright

it could be happiness,

it could be sorrow,

there’ll always be my arms for you to borrow, to hold you through today

to a stronger tomorrow, to a stronger tomorrow

https://youtu.be/qoI_i_qw4WY