Indian NGO 'Educate Girls' Wins Ramon Magsaysay Award in Historic First
In a landmark moment for social change in India, the non-profit organization Educate Girls has been awarded the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, widely regarded as Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize. This marks the first time an Indian NGO has received the prestigious honor, which recognizes the organization's transformative success in bringing millions of out-of-school girls in rural India into the classroom. The award places a global spotlight on a uniquely Indian, community-powered model that is effectively dismantling deep-rooted barriers to girls' education.
A Community-Powered Blueprint for Change
Founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain, a London School of Economics graduate, Educate Girls began its work in Rajasthan to address the stark gender gap in education. The organisation's model is built on the simple yet powerful idea that change must come from within the community itself. Instead of a top-down approach, it mobilises a vast network of over 55,000 local volunteers, known as "preraks," who go door-to-door in some of India's most remote villages. These dedicated volunteers work to identify out-of-school girls, counsel their families, and break down the cultural and economic stereotypes that often keep girls from attending school.
This grassroots strategy has proven remarkably effective. To date, Educate Girls has successfully enrolled more than two million girls in government schools and has improved learning outcomes for a total of 2.4 million children. The Magsaysay Award citation celebrated this approach for liberating young women "from the bondage of illiteracy and infusing them with skills, courage, and agency." The NGO's ability to maintain a retention rate of over 90% is a testament to the sustainability of its community-centric efforts.
Pioneering Innovation and a Vision for the Future
Beyond its impressive fieldwork, Educate Girls is also a pioneer in social finance. In 2015, it launched the world's first-ever Development Impact Bond (DIB) in the education sector. This innovative "pay-for-performance" model ties funding directly to measurable outcomes like enrollment numbers and learning improvements, ensuring accountability and driving efficiency. The success of the initial DIB in Rajasthan has allowed the model to be scaled to other states, including Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, demonstrating its viability as a nationwide solution.
With this historic recognition, Educate Girls is looking toward an even more ambitious future. The organization has set a goal to impact the lives of 10 million children by 2035. Its plans include expanding its operations into new regions, such as Northeast India, and sharing its successful blueprint with other countries facing similar challenges. As CEO Gayatri Nair Lobo stated, the award belongs not just to the team but "mostly to our girls who tirelessly pursue education." The victory is a powerful affirmation that investing in a girl's education creates ripple effects that can uplift entire communities and build a more equitable future.
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation also honored other distinguished individuals in 2025. The awards recognized Shaahina Ali of the Maldives for her vital work in marine conservation and Reverend Flaviano Antonio L Villanueva of the Philippines for his courageous humanitarian efforts supporting victims of extrajudicial killings.
Award Highlights
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