In a historic achievement, Educate Girls, founded by Safeena Husain, has become the first Indian non-profit organization to receive the prestigious 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award. Often referred to as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize, this honor recognizes the organization’s transformative impact on girls’ education in rural India.
Empowering Rural Girls Through Education
Established in 2007, Educate Girls operates in over 30,000 villages across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. The organization has successfully enrolled more than 2 million girls into schools and provided remedial learning support to over 2.4 million children. By leveraging community involvement and government partnerships, Educate Girls has broken cultural barriers and gender stereotypes, empowering millions of girls to reclaim their right to education.
Safeena Husain: From Personal Struggles to Social Change
Safeena Husain’s journey to founding Educate Girls was deeply personal. After facing interruptions in her own education, she became the first in her family to study abroad at the London School of Economics. Returning to India in 2005, Husain was determined to address female illiteracy and gender disparities in education. Her experiences fueled her commitment to creating educational opportunities for girls in underserved communities.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Educate Girls aims to reach 10 million learners by 2035, strengthening systemic change through government partnerships and mobilizing ecosystem players towards girls’ education. The organization’s founder, Safeena Husain, views this recognition as a responsibility to continue advocating for girls’ education and gender equality.
