Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025

• 01 Sep 2025

Why in News?

An Indian non-profit organisation, ‘Foundation to Educate Girls Globally’, dedicated to mobilising community and government resources for girls’ education in rural and educationally disadvantaged areas of India, has been named a 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee.

• The other 2025 awardees include 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.

Foundation to Educate Girls Globally

• About: Educate Girls, also known as the Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, was founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain. 
  • It is the first Indian organization to receive the prestigious award, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
• Objective: The organization started in Rajasthan, focusing on addressing female illiteracy by bringing unschooled girls into classrooms and supporting them until they gained credentials for higher education and employment.
• Mission: The core mission, “one girl at a time,” is based on grassroots efforts, community mobilization, and partnerships to overcome barriers like poverty and household chores while fostering societal change in valuing girls’ education.
• Initiatives: In 2015, Educate Girls launched the world’s first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education, linking financial aid to measurable outcomes, benefiting over 2 million girls across 30,000 villages.
  • The organization introduced Pragati, an open-schooling program for young women aged 15–29, expanding from 300 to over 31,500 participants, helping them complete their education.

Ramon Magsaysay Award

• About: The Ramon Magsaysay Award, established in 1958, honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to human development in Asia and globally, addressing complex societal issues.
• Awardees are selected annually by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) and receive a medallion, certificate, and cash prize.
  • The 67th Ramon Magsaysay Award ceremony is scheduled for 7th November 2025 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila.
• Objective: The Award was created to recognize selfless service and the greatness of spirit, irrespective of race, gender, or religion, and celebrates transformative leadership and courage in Asia.
• Categories: From 1958 to 2008, the Award was given in six categories: Government Service, Public Service, Community Leadership, Journalism, Literature & Creative Communication Arts, Peace & International Understanding, and Emergent Leadership (for individuals under 40).
  • Since 2009, the Award no longer follows fixed categories, except for Emergent Leadership, which continues with support from the Ford Foundation.