India's Sole SDG Lions Shortlist at Cannes 2026
A project documenting a grassroots movement for girls' education in Bihar has earned India's only shortlist in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lions category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2026. The project, titled Mothers of Courage - Shifting Societal Norms, One Conversation at a Time, was submitted by Bengaluru-based organisations Mantra Social Services and ShikshaLokam, both part of the broader Shikshagraha movement.
The recognition places a community-led education initiative from rural Bihar on one of the world's most prestigious stages for creativity and impact. The SDG Lions category recognises work that advances the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through demonstrable social impact, and is among the festival's most competitive categories, with a strong emphasis on measurable outcomes and real-world change.
The Shiksha Chaupal Model
At the heart of the project is the Shiksha Chaupal, a community engagement model developed through years of grassroots work. It brings together mothers, fathers, youth, and local leaders to openly discuss the barriers preventing girls from completing their education. Through collective dialogue and public pledges, communities commit to ensuring girls remain in school and are protected from child marriage.
To date, the initiative has facilitated more than 28,000 community gatherings across 14 districts in Bihar, mobilising over 800,000 citizens around girls' education and gender equality. The eight-minute documentary Mothers of Courage, directed by Vandana R and produced by Butterfly Effect Media, chronicles these conversations and the women leading change within their communities.
Voices from the Movement
Khushboo Awasthi, Co-founder of Mantra4Change and Chief Curator of Shikshagraha, said: "The women featured in this film are not activists in the conventional sense. They are mothers and mothers-in-law who chose to challenge deeply entrenched social norms -- some fighting for their daughters, others breaking convention to send their daughters-in-law back to school." She added: "This recognition belongs to them and to the thousands of communities across Bihar that have demonstrated how collective action can create lasting change. To see that work acknowledged on a global platform like Cannes Lions is both humbling and encouraging."
Director Vandana R noted that the power of the film lay in documenting an existing movement rather than creating a narrative around it. "Everything audiences see in Mothers of Courage emerged from real conversations taking place in villages across Bihar," she said. "Our role was simply to listen, observe and document. The courage and conviction came from the women themselves."
Growing Recognitions
The shortlist adds to a growing list of recognitions for the project, including the Best Inspirational Film award at the Los Angeles Film Awards 2026 and a Silver at the ABBY Awards 2026 in the Sustainable Development Goals category. For Shikshagraha, the recognition highlights the growing visibility of community-led approaches to public education reform and gender equality.
Championed by S.D. Shibulal (Co-founder and Former CEO of Infosys) and Bengaluru-based non-profits ShikshaLokam and Mantra4Change, Shikshagraha works with more than 30 partner organisations across 16 states to strengthen public education systems and improve outcomes for children in government schools.
About Shikshagraha
Shikshagraha is a people-powered movement to improve all 1 million public schools in India, so that every child experiences enriching learning and is ready for the future. The movement enables parents, women, and youth to demand and support quality education, and equips teachers, school leaders, and officials with tools for micro-improvements towards systemic change.
Currently, more than 30 civil society, industry, and philanthropic partners in the Shikshagraha network are collectively strengthening over 1,17,000 schools across 35 districts in 16 states and Union Territories. This includes enabling education leaders to lead need-based school improvements and amplifying women, youth, and community participation in the public education system. Shikshagraha works towards improving schools where the need is greatest, supports leadership on the ground, and shifts the norms that hold education back.
