Manila: An Indian non-profit working to educate out-of-school girls in remote villages is among the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees, it was announced Sunday.

The Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, widely known as 'Educate Girls,' has made history as the first Indian organisation to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) said.

Considered the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the award recognises greatness of spirit shown in selfless service to the peoples of Asia. The other two winners are Shaahina Ali from the Maldives for environmental work and Flaviano Antonio L. Villanueva from the Philippines.

The 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees will each receive a medallion bearing the likeness of President Ramon Magsaysay, a certificate inscribed with their citation, and a cash prize. The 67th Award Presentation Ceremonies will be held on November 7 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila.

'Educate Girls,' founded by Safeena Husain, was recognised for its commitment to addressing cultural stereotyping through the education of girls and young women, empowering them with skills, courage, and agency to achieve their full potential.

Founded in 2007 by Husain, a London School of Economics graduate, the organisation began in Rajasthan, identifying the neediest communities, bringing unschooled or out-of-school girls into classrooms, and retaining them until they achieved credentials for higher education and employment.

In 2015, Educate Girls launched the world's first Development Impact Bond in education, tying financial aid to outcomes. Starting with 50 pilot village schools, the programme now reaches over 30,000 villages across India's underserved regions, involving over two million girls with a retention rate above 90%.

The organisation also launched Pragati, an open-schooling programme for young women aged 15-29, which grew from an initial cohort of 300 learners to over 31,500.

Safeena Husain called the award a historic moment for Educate Girls and India, highlighting its people-powered movement for girls' education that began with a single girl in a remote village.

Previous Indian winners include Mother Teresa (1962), Jayaprakash Narayan (1965), Satyajit Ray (1967), Aruna Roy (2000), Arvind Kejriwal (2006), Kiran Bedi (1994), Sonam Wangchuk (2018), and Ravish Kumar (2019).

Ali from the Maldives was recognised for her commitment to protecting the marine ecosystem, while Villanueva from the Philippines was honoured for his lifelong mission to uphold the dignity of the poor and oppressed.

RMAF chairperson Edgar O. Chua said, "For 67 years, the Ramon Magsaysay Award has celebrated transformative leaders who have become enduring beacons for Asia and the world. Each generation of awardees shows that integrity, courage, and compassion can shape societies for the better."