After Cannes, ‘Mothers of Courage’ makes it to UN SDG Action Awards 2026 finals

Mothers of Courage, a documentary capturing a community-led movement in Bihar to keep girls in school and prevent early marriage, has made it to the finals of the 2026 Heroes of Tomorrow: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Awards.

The film has been selected as a finalist in the Creativity category, with the awards ceremony scheduled in Rome on October 29, said a statement from Shikshagraha, a national movement to strengthen public education championed by Infosys cofounder SD Shibulal. Mothers of Courage, a part of Shikshagraha, has mobilised more than 1.19 million citizens across 14 districts of Bihar.

The movement works through Shiksha Chaupals, community gatherings where mothers and other community members discuss barriers to girls’ education, including child marriage. More than 44,892 such gatherings have been held since October 2024.


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The documentary follows mothers and mothers-in-law who have challenged social norms to support girls’ education. While some have pushed for their daughters to remain in school, others have supported daughters-in-law seeking to return to education.

“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, cofounder of Mantra4Change and chief curator of Shikshagraha.

Directed by Vandana R and produced by Butterfly Effect Media, Mothers of Courage has received a string of recognitions this year. It was India’s only entry shortlisted in the Sustainable Development Goals Lions category at Cannes Lions 2026 and won Best Inspirational Film at the Los Angeles Film Awards. The film has also won honours at the ABBY Awards and the SABRE South Asia and Asia Pacific Awards, besides being named a finalist at the 7th Mumbai International Film Festival.

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Shikshagraha seeks to improve India’s one million public schools. Its network works across states with civil society, industry and philanthropic partners, the statement said.