Educate Girls, a leading Indian non-profit organization, has been honoured with the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, often regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize, in recognition of its extraordinary contribution to girls’ education and community-led social transformation. Founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain, Educate Girls has been at the forefront of tackling one of India’s most persistent challenges — gender disparity in education. The organization works with government schools and local communities to bring out-of-school girls back into classrooms and to ensure quality learning for all children, particularly in the most marginalized regions of the country.

Over the years, Educate Girls has expanded its operations to over 30,000 villages across Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar, impacting millions of lives. The organization’s mission is simple yet powerful: to mobilize communities to take ownership of girls’ education and break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and illiteracy. What makes Educate Girls truly unique is its scalable, community-driven model that engages local volunteers, known as Team Balika, who act as change agents within their own villages. These volunteers go door-to-door, identify out-of-school girls, and work tirelessly with families, teachers, and community leaders to ensure that every girl is enrolled and learning.

With more than 55,000 volunteers currently active, Educate Girls has built one of India’s largest grassroots networks dedicated to education. The organization has not only improved enrollment rates but also focused on learning outcomes through remedial education programs in government schools. Its flagship model, which combines data-driven decision-making with community engagement, has been recognized globally as a sustainable and replicable approach to solving educational inequality.

In her acceptance of the Magsaysay Award, Safeena Husain dedicated the honour to Educate Girls’ volunteers, emphasizing that their relentless spirit and compassion have been the real force behind the organization’s success. “This award belongs to our 55,000 Team Balika members, who have given their time and energy to ensure that every girl has the right to learn,” she said. Her statement reflects the essence of Educate Girls’ philosophy — that real change begins within communities themselves.

The Magsaysay Award committee praised Educate Girls for its “systemic and inclusive approach to addressing education inequity” and for “empowering local communities to become champions of girls’ rights.” The recognition underscores the organization’s commitment to transforming education in some of India’s most underserved regions, where cultural and economic barriers often prevent girls from attending school.

Beyond education, the impact of Educate Girls extends into broader areas of women’s empowerment, health, and social inclusion. When girls stay in school longer, they marry later, earn better incomes, and contribute more actively to the social and economic development of their families and communities. Educate Girls’ work aligns with India’s national goals under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 4 and SDG 5), which focus on quality education and gender equality.

Over the years, the organization has developed innovative monitoring systems using AI and predictive analytics to identify villages with the highest number of out-of-school girls. This data-driven approach allows for efficient resource allocation and measurable outcomes. Their efforts have led to over 1.4 million girls’ enrollments and significant improvements in learning levels across supported regions.