The Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (Educate Girls) has been selected as one of the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients, becoming the first Indian organisation to receive Asia's highest civilian honour. Founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain, the organisation has been recognised for its sustained efforts in addressing gender inequality in education, bringing out-of-school girls into classrooms, and empowering young women in India's most educationally disadvantaged regions.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation announced the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award recipients on 31 August 2025. Educate Girls has become the first Indian non-profit organisation to receive this prestigious honour. The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Award Presentation Ceremony is scheduled to be held on 7 November 2025 at the Metropolitan Theatre, Philippines.
The Foundation recognised Educate Girls for its commitment to addressing cultural stereotyping through girls' education, liberating young women from illiteracy, and enabling them with skills, confidence and agency to realise their full potential. The award acknowledges the organisation's community-driven model that creates long-term social transformation through education.
Established in 2007, Educate Girls began its work in Rajasthan, focusing on villages with the highest number of out-of-school girls. Over time, it expanded into several educationally disadvantaged regions across India by working closely with local communities, government schools, and volunteers to enrol and retain girls in formal education.
In 2015, Educate Girls launched the world's first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education.The initiative linked financial support to measurable educational outcomes, making funding dependent upon actual improvements in learning and enrolment rather than expenditure alone. The programme initially covered 50 pilot village schools before expanding significantly.
The organisation has now reached:
These achievements demonstrate the effectiveness of combining community mobilisation, government partnerships, and data-driven educational interventions.
Educate Girls also launched Pragati, an open-schooling initiative for young women aged 15–29 years who had discontinued formal education.The programme:
The organisation's approach focuses on:
Its guiding philosophy is captured in the motto:
"One Girl at a Time."
| Awardee | Country | Recognised For |
|---|---|---|
| Shaahina Ali | Maldives | Environmental conservation and protection of marine ecosystems |
| Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva | Philippines | Service to poor, marginalised communities and protection of human dignity |
The award highlights India's growing contribution to social innovation, girls' education, and community-based development models.It also demonstrates that grassroots organisations can create measurable outcomes in education while influencing public policy through partnerships with government institutions.The recognition strengthens India's global image in advancing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Established | 1957 |
| Named After | Ramon Magsaysay |
| Country | Philippines |
| Administered By | Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation |
| Headquarters | Manila |
| Nature | Asia's highest civilian honour; often regarded as the "Nobel Prize of Asia" |
| Award Components | Medallion, Citation Certificate and Cash Prize |
| Eligibility | Individuals and organisations demonstrating selfless public service, leadership, integrity, and transformative contributions in Asia |
| 2025 Ceremony | 7 November 2025, Metropolitan Theatre, Manila |
| Particular | Details |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Safeena Husain |
| Headquarters | Mumbai (not mentioned in the article) |
| Initial Area of Work | Rajasthan |
| Core Objective | Enrolment, retention and education of out-of-school girls in educationally disadvantaged communities |
| Major Initiative | Development Impact Bond (2015) |
| Special Programme | Pragati – Open schooling for women aged 15–29 years |
Updated – 31 August 2025; 09:32 PM | News Source – News on AIR, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Indian Express