Sept 1, 2025: An Indian non-profit organisation, Educate Girls, working towards addressing gender injustice in education in India’s rural and remote areas has been chosen for the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025. The honor was bestowed upon Educate Girls, the first non-profit organization in India. The award has also been given to Shaahina Ali from the Maldives for her environmental work and Flaviano Antonio L Villanueva from the Philippines for his efforts to uplift the poor and marginalised.
“In 2005, a young London School of Economics graduate who was working in San Francisco, United States, made the decision to return to India to take on this challenge. Safeena Husain founded the Foundation to Educate Girls Globally (FEGG) or "Educate Girls," a non-profit organization "dedicated to mobilizing community and government resources for girls' education in rural and educationally disadvantaged areas of India" after studying the issue for two years, according to the award citation. Beyond enrolling young girls, Educate Girls also launched Pragati, an open-schooling programme that allows young women aged 15-29 to complete their education and avail themselves of lifelong opportunities. It now has over 31,500 students in its initial cohort of 300. “Girls’ education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet to solve some of the world’s most difficult problems. It has an impact on nine of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, including employment, nutrition, and health, making it one of the best investments a nation can make. She said Educate Girls remained committed to breaking the cycle of illiteracy and poverty for girls. “By scaling our programmes, deepening government partnerships, and embedding community-led solutions, we strive to create a brighter, more equitable future one girl at a time,” she added.
Each awardee will receive a medallion bearing the likeness of former Philippines President Ramon Magsaysay, a citation, and a cash prize, the foundation said.
Manila will host the 67th Ramon Magsaysay Award ceremony on November 7.