Kathmandu, April 13 -- When Ranju Yadav was a ninth grade student in Rajbiraj, an incident from a nearby village made a lasting impression on her. A woman was murdered by her in-laws because her parents had not paid enough of a dowry.

"I cried when I heard that news. It disturbed me so much," says Yadav. "I remember wondering what could be done to stop such murders."

In 2013, 27-year-old Yadav completed her first-ever professional Mithila painting. In the middle of the painting is a man on a scale being weighed against several boxes, a car, a motorcycle, and jewelry--things that are normally given as part of a dowry. In the four corners of the painting are four more illustrations--a woman getting ready for marriage; her marriage ceremon...