Bihar girls’ education documentary ‘Mothers of Courage’ named UN SDG Action Awards finalist

Mothers of Courage, a documentary documenting a grassroots movement led by women to promote girls’ education in Bihar, has been named a finalist in the Creativity category of the 2026 Heroes of Tomorrow: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Action Awards.

The film is part of Shikshagraha, a national movement focused on strengthening public education and is championed by Infosys co-founder and former CEO S.D. Shibulal. The documentary highlights mothers and mothers-in-law who are challenging social norms that often prevent girls from continuing their education.

The UN SDG Action Awards ceremony is scheduled to be held in Rome on October 29, 2026. The recognition comes after the documentary was shortlisted as India's only entry in the Sustainable Development Goals Lions category at Cannes Lions 2026. It has also received awards at the Los Angeles Film Awards, ABBY Awards and SABRE South Asia and Asia Pacific Awards.

Over 44,000 community gatherings

At the centre of the movement are Shiksha Chaupals, community gatherings where mothers and other members discuss barriers to girls’ education, including child marriage.

More than 44,892 Shiksha Chaupals have been held across 14 districts of Bihar since October 2024. The gatherings have brought communities together to make collective commitments to help girls remain in school and protect them from early marriage.

The movement has so far mobilised more than 1.19 million citizens across the 14 districts, according to the organisation.

“This is a very special moment for all of us. When we began documenting these stories in Bihar, we knew they were powerful, but to see Mothers of Courage travel from those villages to a global stage like the UN is something else altogether,” said Khushboo Awasthi, co-founder, Mantra4Change and chief curator, Shikshagraha.

She said the recognition belonged to the women featured in the documentary and their determination to create a different future for the next generation.

Stories from rural Bihar

Directed by Vandana R and produced by Butterfly Effect Media, the documentary captures conversations among women and communities working to change attitudes towards girls’ education.

“As a filmmaker, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing stories rooted in real lives and real communities resonate far beyond where they began,” Vandana said. She added that the film was shaped by the “honesty, strength and conviction” of the women featured in Bihar.

Shikshagraha currently works with civil society, industry and philanthropic partners to strengthen public education systems and improve outcomes for children in government schools. The network says its partners are collectively working across 1.17 lakh-plus schools in 33 districts and 14 states and Union Territories.