“Mahila” tells three stories of empowerment in India’s rural Dalit communities. For ages, Dalit women have suffered from triple oppression — from discrimination based on their gender, their caste and their impoverished economic class. The women of “Mahila” have found a rare voice and an important standing in their communities, and in the wider India. They’ve achieved this through education, through the access to credit and training to form businesses, and through awareness of their rights as citizens.

“Mahila” introduces us to three generations of Dalit women who represent a movement that is changing the face of India. Young Indira gets her parents full support to fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher. Jaysree leads a women farmers’ cooperative that negotiates fair prices for their dairy production. And, finally, Mary Rani is the first Dalit woman to be elected president of her village.

The Good Shepherd sisters, who have advocated for women’s and Dalit’s rights in India for the past 30 years, lead this movement, supporting hundreds of girls and women out of oppression through education, economic justice and human rights.