Educate Girls: India's Trailblazer Wins Ramon Magsaysay Award

Educate Girls, a prominent non-profit organization from India, has been awarded the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, marking a historic achievement as the first Indian organization to receive this esteemed honor. This accolade acknowledges the group's relentless dedication to overcoming cultural biases and advancing the education of girls, thereby liberating them from illiteracy. The organization now joins the prestigious ranks of past laureates like Satyajit Ray and the Dalai Lama.

Founder Safeena Husain reflects on this milestone, emphasizing the global spotlight this award places on India's grassroots educational movement for girls. Since its inception in 2007, Educate Girls has successfully mobilized over 55,000 volunteers, reintegrating more than two million girls into schools and providing remedial learning to over 2.4 million children across 30,000 villages. This recognition highlights the power of collaborative efforts involving governments, communities, and changemakers.

With aspirations to reach 10 million learners in the next decade, Educate Girls aligns its efforts with government initiatives to drive systemic change, ensuring the most vulnerable receive education. The Ramon Magsaysay Award, the highest honor in Asia, will be presented formally in Manila, alongside other notable awardees recognized for their impactful contributions.

(With inputs from agencies.)