We were proud to work with Room to Read on a six part docu-series, She Creates Change, created to spotlight the important work they do eliminating illiteracy and gender inequality.

Each episode blends animation and live-action to tell the stories of courageous young women from low-income communities in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Vietnam. We curated a diverse group of directors to tell these stories including Siqi Song, Neeraja Raj, Bonnie Taylor Forsyth, Hannah Lau-Walker, Prashanti Aswani and Claudia Chinyere Akole.

Ahead of the project’s launch in October 2023, Room to Read are running profiles on each of the talented directors kicking things off with Prashanti Aswani.

Prashanti’s film tells the story of Yashika, a girl from India who found confidence through practicing karate while battling prejudice in a country that can still views it as a “man’s sport.”

Having grown up internationally in places she often felt unrepresented as a South Asian woman, Prashanti has a particular interest in in representing the underrepresented and giving voices to those that never felt like they belonged. For this reason, Yashika’s story of resilience and perseverance resonated with her deeply. 

You can read the full article here.