India | 2023 | Painting

Powerful Women

In Odisha, two Indian artists and a hundred schoolgirls used an ancient artistic practice, Pattachitra, to paint the strength of women on school walls.

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Powerful Women

Gender Inequality

India faces deep-rooted gender discrimination. In Odisha, one of the country’s poorest states, women have limited access to education and the labor market. Since conventional banking services are often inaccessible to them, they rely on microfinance institutions to secure loans, start businesses, and achieve financial independence.

Artist
Subharsee Bindhani, Kanak Gayal

Partners
Annapurna Finance Private Limited, public schools

Participants
100 schoolgirls from 3 public schools

Agency
AFD India

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Powerful Women

100

schoolgirls involved

300

people attended the mural inauguration

2500

Pattachitra: an artistic practice over 2,500 years old

Metis partnered with Annapurna, the most active microfinance institution in Odisha, to offer an artistic program led by two women painters. Subharsee Bindhani and Kanak Gayal, both recognized for their expertise in Pattachitra (from patta, “fabric,” and chitra, “painting”), introduced this ancient art form to a hundred schoolgirls from several public schools. Together, they created ten murals on school walls, each depicting powerful women in different roles.

The mural unveiling became a celebratory community event, bringing together schoolgirls, their families, and Annapurna representatives—nearly 300 people in total.

This initiative served as a powerful catalyst for women’s empowerment and the promotion of gender equality in the region.

Download project sheet