‘Mothers of Courage,’ documentary on girls’ education in Bihar, wins UN SDG Action Award

Bengaluru: Mothers of Courage, a documentary on a grassroots movement led by women to promote girls’ education in Bihar, has won the 2026 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Action Award in the Creativity category.

The documentary, part of Shikshagraha, a public education movement championed by Infosys cofounder SD Shibulal, was selected from more than 7,000 applications received from 190 countries and territories. The award was presented at a ceremony in Rome on Thursday.

The initiative has mobilised over 1.19 million citizens across 14 districts in Bihar, where mothers and other women are challenging social norms that often prevent girls from completing their education. The film documents how some women are working to keep their daughters in school, while others are supporting their daughters-in-law in resuming their studies.


Shikshagraha, supported by Bengaluru-based non-profits ShikshaLokam and Mantra4Change, brings together more than 40 partner organisations across 16 states and Union Territories to strengthen public education and improve learning outcomes in government schools.

“This recognition goes beyond an award for a film or a campaign. It is a celebration of community-led transformation in education,” Shibulal, who is also the founder of ShikshaLokam, said.

He added that lasting change in public education required coordinated efforts by governments, civil society, communities and philanthropy, with greater agency for those closest to children.

At the centre of the Bihar initiative are Shiksha Chaupals, village-level community gatherings where women, parents and other residents discuss barriers to girls’ education, including child marriage, and collectively identify solutions.

Since October 2024, more than 50,000 such gatherings have been held across rural India, encouraging communities to make commitments towards keeping girls in school and preventing early marriage. Similar gatherings have also begun in Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and Odisha.

Khushboo Awasthi, co-founder of Mantra4Change and chief curator of Shikshagraha, received the award in Rome. Recalling her own upbringing in a small Indian town, Awasthi said her mother had played a crucial role in helping her overcome social expectations surrounding education and career choices.

“The women featured in Mothers of Courage are doing the same for their daughters and daughters-in-law. They are challenging deeply held beliefs, questioning established norms and changing what is possible for the next generation,” she said.

Awasthi also acknowledged Urmila Kumari, a grassroots social reformer and Shikshagraha’s state head in Bihar, for her role in the movement. Kumari said the UN recognition belonged to the thousands of women and adolescent girls working to advance education and girls’ rights in rural communities.

“This honour belongs not to any one organisation or team, but to the thousands of women and adolescent girls whose courage and determination have driven the fight for girls’ education and rights,” she said.