As India's youngest on-air radio host, I learned the power of girls' voices

“The same voice that I was bullied for, the voice that got told it was bringing shame to my family was the same voice that would be on air streaming, every weekend at prime time, echoing in every nook and corner of my community.” (Photo credit: Chineyenwa Okoru Onu for Youth friendly standards).

When Anoushka Sinha was 12, she was India’s youngest radio host. Now 21, she reflects on how her voice and passion for radio have shaped her advocacy for young women and girls like herself. From refusing marriage at a young age to working with UN ambassadors — it all started in the recording booth.

I was on the stage excitedly charting my solos for a charity event when I was approached by the director of a radio station. I recorded my first ever studio album when I was 10 or 11 years old. I have been training for professional classical music since I was four years old. 

A passion that didn't look at early mornings or late nights. As a toddler, I was always ready to attend lessons and would even spend hours after class listening to my instructor, who was an incredibly talented independent woman. This passion blossomed as I grew older. I had strong female influences such as my mother and my music instructor to look up to, who were championing their rights in their own lives in different ways.

That's how life is supposed to look like. A life where you had the freedom and liberty to pursue your passions and dreams without anyone stopping you. That reality soon changed the first time someone questioned my mom about my music and said girls from “respectable families” aren't supposed to pursue the arts. 

This is when I learned that everyone's realities were different and, at times, unequal. In a society where deep-rooted patriarchy exists and propels people to label something as harmless as music “shameful” had me dumbfounded. I never thought music, something that connects people could ever be a negative force — I saw it as a unifying one.

“In the beginning, it was odd for many people to see and hear a girl raising her voice against the deep-rooted inequalities and patriarchal beliefs. I got called names and verbally abused for my advocacy. It wasn’t a shock anymore, I knew many girls who faced this daily.”

— Anoushka Sinha

That’s what led me to record my first album. 

To bring awareness to the causes I was already working on I needed to bring more people together and educate them as a community. At one event I got approached by the director of a local radio station.

The director said they liked my voice and would like to have me at their studio for a trial. I was so excited! 

I thought of this as an opportunity to use this platform to empower young people. I did a practice run, recorded different sets and types of audio and heard back within a week that I was going to have my own show where I would engage with the youth and talk about a variety of different topics of interest to them such as education. 

Even then I was faced with a lot of criticism from men in my family and those around saying that this was a waste of time and I was a disgrace, I persisted. They were expressing their disregard for the craft, but they were also projecting their insecurities onto me.

The same voice that I was bullied for, the voice that got told it was bringing shame to my family was the same voice that would be on air streaming, every weekend at prime time, echoing in every nook and corner of my community.

I learned how to use complex audio systems, engineer sound, mix audio, and craft meaningful scripts for my show.  

I also had to learn responsibility. I went to the station straight after school, sitting in the studio and creating content that would add value to the lives of the young people who listened to my show by highlighting important issues.

At the radio station at 12 years old ready to record my show. I learned everything from the software training, equipment use, script making, editing and putting the show on air. (Photo courtesy of Anoushka Sinha)

 I also got to visit rural areas, go door to door and speak to families to better understand the obstacles rural and marginalised communities face. This shaped a lot of the work I do today because it has allowed me to identify more gaps and build my advocacy around them. I ran the show for four successful seasons as the youngest radio jockey in India at the time, at the age of 12.

Around the same time, I also worked on a short film called “Pinky” to promote education rights for girls. I learned how important storytelling is as a tool to educate on unfamiliar topics so it was important to communicate them in a language that was easy to understand. This is how I continued my advocacy journey championing the rights of women and girls. 

In the beginning, it was odd for many people to see and hear a girl raising her voice against the deep-rooted inequalities and patriarchal beliefs. I got called names and verbally abused for my advocacy. It wasn't a shock anymore, I knew many girls who faced this daily. What would have been a shock to me, is if I endured this treatment and sat back and did nothing about it. 

Throughout my journey, I had the support of two strong feminists behind me: my mom and dad. 

One of the most challenging times of my life was when my father, who was my rock, passed away. As soon as this happened, community members and immediate family felt this was the time to get married.

“I started as a young girl on the radio and now I work globally to advance girls’ and women’s rights. I started with a simple, yet powerful idea: I could use my voice for something that makes an impact on the world.”

— Anoushka Sinha

But I was only 18 years old and I had other ideas. I wanted to learn. 

I fought for my right to get an education. I had to break through the shackles of patriarchy. I knew that if I stopped, other girls in similar situations would find themselves trapped at this crossroads too. 

All of this has brought me to where I am now, I started as a young girl on the radio and now I work globally to advance girls' and women’s rights. I started with a simple, yet powerful idea: I could use my voice for something that makes an impact on the world.

Now as a strong and fierce defender of women's rights, I have served as a delegate and speaker at multiple global platforms where I spread awareness and bring to light the harsh realities faced by young women like me in the Global South. I use the same voice that once was perceived to be shameful to work with UN ambassadors, diplomats and leaders and hold them accountable to ensure justice is served and equality is prevalent not as a privilege but as a fundamental right. 

My journey has been full of twists and turns just like a sound chart. There are crests and troughs and crescendos but it has been transformative for me. What has come out of it is a beautiful song called life, one where I continue to learn and grow.

Since I was 10 years old, it has been my dream to see no girl go without an education and no one deprived of their rights and today when I see the smiling faces in front of my eyes I feel proud of my 10-year-old self who didn't give up on herself and her passions, but turned it into a tool to educate and empower.