Ranchi::Asia’s Highest Civilian Honor Recognizes a Community Movement That Brought Over 20 Million Girls Back to School
August 31, 2025India’s leading non-profit organization, Educate Girls, has been honored with the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s most prestigious recognition of public service and transformative social impact. This marks the first time an Indian organization has received this honor, awarded for challenging regressive cultural norms, liberating girls from illiteracy, and empowering them with skills, courage, and independence.
With this achievement, Educate Girls joins an illustrious list of Ramon Magsaysay laureates, including Satyajit Ray, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Kiran Bedi, Vinoba Bhave, The Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, and Oscar-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki.
A Historic Recognition for a Grassroots Mission
Safina Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, said:
“This recognition belongs to our team, our girl volunteers, our partners, our supporters, and most of all—to the millions of girls who reclaimed their greatest strength: education. Over the next decade, Educate Girls aims to reach over 10 million more learners. We also plan to take this successful Indian model to other parts of the world, ensuring that every girl can access her right to education. We firmly believe that when one girl learns, she lifts up her entire community.”
Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO of Educate Girls, added:
“For us, education is not merely a tool for development—it is every girl's fundamental right. This award affirms that when government, corporates, donors, and communities come together, deep-rooted social and structural barriers can be broken. We are deeply grateful to the Government of India for its support in making this mission possible. We also extend our congratulations to Shahina Ali from the Maldives and Father Flaviano Villanueva from the Philippines, whose work continues to inspire us all.”
Founded in 2007, Educate Girls has reached over 30,000 villages, with the help of 55,000+ community volunteers, helping enroll more than 2 million out-of-school girls and improving the learning outcomes of over 2.4 million children.
Looking ahead, the organization aims to impact over 10 million children, using education as a tool to break the cycle of poverty and illiteracy.
About the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is presented annually to individuals and organizations in Asia who demonstrate exceptional courage, creativity, and transformative leadership in tackling humanity’s most pressing challenges.
In 2025, the award was given to:
Educate Girls (India) – for its impactful work in girls’ education and empowerment.
Shahina Ali (Maldives) – for her efforts in combating plastic pollution and protecting marine ecosystems.
Father Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva (Philippines) – for restoring dignity to the homeless and poor of Manila.
The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Awards Ceremony will be held on November 7, 2025, at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, Philippines. The event will be streamed live on the foundation’s official Facebook and YouTube channels. Each laureate will be presented with a medal and a certificate.
About the Award
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is considered Asia’s Nobel Prize. Named after the former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, it honors extraordinary individuals and organizations who have addressed major social issues in Asia through courage, innovation, and commitment to public service.
About Educate Girls
Educate Girls is a non-profit organization working in partnership with state governments to improve girls’ education in India’s most underserved and educationally backward rural regions. Its mission aligns with national campaigns such as ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, the Right to Education Act, and the National Education Policy. Since 2007, Educate Girls has helped bring over 2 million out-of-school girls back into classrooms across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, and built a robust network of over 55,000 community volunteers.
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