Ramon Magsaysay Award
Why it Matters?
Indian NGO ‘Educate Girls’, founded by Safeena Husain, won the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, becoming the first Indian non-profit to receive it. The organisation works in rural and remote areas to ensure girls’ education, addressing gender injustice and creating transformative impacts on families, communities, and society at large.
What You Should Know?
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often called Asia’s Nobel Prize.
It was established in 1957 by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in memory of former Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay, known for integrity and service.
The award is administered by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), based in Manila, Philippines.
It is given annually to individuals or organisations in Asia for selfless service, integrity, and transformative leadership.
Categories are not rigid but typically include government service, public service, community leadership, journalism, literature, creative arts, peace, and international understanding.
Many Indians have received it, including Vinoba Bhave (1958), Jayaprakash Narayan (1965), M.S. Subbulakshmi (1974), Verghese Kurien (1963), Aruna Roy (2000), Bezwada Wilson (2016).
In 2025, for the first time, an Indian non-profit organisation – Educate Girls – won the award.