Chandra Institute of Creative Empowerment of Women (CICEW)
Creativity . Dignity . Opportunity
Genesis
Founded in 2007 in loving memory of Smt. Chandra Das, the Chandra Institute for Creative Empowerment of Women (CICEW) is a grassroots initiative dedicated to using creativity as a tool for empowerment.
Established by Shri Bhagirath Lal Das, Smt. Supriti Das, Shri Abhijit Das, and Smt. Shipra Das, CICEW operates from a dedicated 7,159 sq. ft. campus on Gola Road, Patna. It stands today as a space where women—especially from rural, underrepresented, and artisan communities—are celebrated, trained, and uplifted.
CICEW is registered as a non-profit trust under the Indian Trust Act.
The Need
Despite constitutional protections and global advocacy, women continue to face systemic inequities:
- 2 out of 3 of the world’s illiterate people are women
- Women perform nearly two-thirds of global working hours but earn only one-tenth of the income
- Less than 1% of the world’s property is owned by women
- In India, over 10% of families are female-headed—many living in economic precarity
The team behind CICEW believes that true empowerment comes from within—and that creativity is one of the most powerful tools a woman can wield to reclaim voice, value, and visibility.
The Vision
CICEW is a creative sanctuary where women come not only to learn and earn - but to reclaim their stories, express their heritage, and design futures on their own terms.
We focus on amplifying traditional knowledge systems - especially folk arts like Mithila painting - as living expressions of women’s agency and wisdom.
Core Objectives
Preserve and Promote Folk Art
Create facilities and training programs to conserve traditional crafts such as Mithila paintings, and pass them on to new generations
Support Women Artists from Marginalised Communities
Focus on rural and underprivileged artisans, especially women, to ensure creative opportunities translate into income and dignity
Enable Product Innovation and Design
Establish a Product Design Centre where women can refine, evolve, and showcase their work
Promote Eco-Friendly Enterprise
Develop infrastructure for handmade paper production, fostering sustainable craft practices
Create a Market Access Platform
Build a marketing and sales framework to support women in reaching local, national, and international audiences with their work
What We Do
At CICEW, we transform craft into confidence, and tradition into transformation. Our ongoing activities include:
- Training workshops in folk art, design innovation, and entrepreneurship
- Skill development for self-sufficiency in creative trades
- Exhibitions and fairs to showcase women’s work to wider audiences
- Collaborations with schools and cultural institutions to keep traditional arts alive
- Community circles and mentorship between generations of artists
- Support for digital literacy and online marketing skills for rural women artisans