PANAJI: Akshada Bandekar took up singing at the tender age of three and has been in the limelight since, with her on-stage performances across Goa and beyond. She has always believed in harnessing her music for social causes, right from the time she held a fund-raiser concert at age six for those affected by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean.
Now, the 24-year-old has initiated ‘UniHERse’, a campaign that raises awareness in schools, colleges and institutions in Goa about gender equality.
Through music, street plays, interactive sessions with experts and talks by Akshada herself, the ‘UniHERse’ mission, according to her, is to “encourage each and every individual to take a stand for gender equality and prepare a generation that ensures equal opportunities for women”.
“The campaign was initiated just before the pandemic and we have covered seven sessions across six institutions in Goa. My intention was to start off by creating awareness and an interest in students so they can themselves come up with ideas. I want them to internalise the quality of equality. Calling experts and having deep conversations help students open up and at least start talking about it,” Akshada said.
Having been encouraged to read newspapers since a young age by her mother, Akshada said she came across an article when she was eight years old that struck a chord with her. She saw an illustration of a girl with a tear rolling down her cheek and got her mother to explain why the title speaks of saving the girl child. Moved to learn the plight of those female children who are discriminated against, and more so those who are not even given a chance at life, Akshada decided she had to initiate a movement.
“We may not experience the discrimination ourselves, but just because we don’t experience it, it does not mean it doesn’t happen. Even if the message reaches one person, I will feel I have done something,” said Akshada, who is also helped by friends in furthering the initiative.
The ‘UniHERse’ campaign also sees students being administered a pledge committing themselves to equal opportunities for women and against any kind of discrimination of a gender.
The singer, who is currently pursuing a programme in music engineering in the US, said when she returns for her winter break, ‘UniHERse’ is on top of her agenda.
“I want to mainly focus on rural schools, where I feel it is needed the most, and want to expand the campaign,” Akshada said.
