Safeena Husain, founder of Educate Girls, has been awarded the prestigious WISE Prize for Education at the WISE 11 Summit (World Innovation Summit for Education).
The WISE Prize for Education is the first global distinction of its kind that honours an individual for outstanding contribution to education. In a rapidly changing world, India is emerging as an innovator by harnessing technology for social impact. Educate Girls, led by Safeena Husain, exemplifies this innovative approach, employing AI to identify villages with high numbers of out-of-school girls.
Equipped with this information, over 21,000 gender champions go door-to-door in the hardest-to-reach villages of India to identify these girls. Working in partnership with the government and communities, Educate Girls reintegrates them into the formal education system.
Educate Girls has mobilised over 14 lakh girls for enrolment and supported over 19 lakh students with remedial learning since its inception through this comprehensive approach in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Presented by the Qatar Foundation, the WISE Prize is a testament to Safeena's commitment to bridging the gender gap in education in India. Safeena shared her sentiments on this accolade, "I am honoured and humbled for this recognition.
This is a collective win for all of us working towards girls' education, right from the government and local communities, to our dedicated gender champions and our valued supporters. Girls' education is the most powerful tool and a transformative force in solving the world's most complex problems.
But most importantly it is her inherent right. At Educate Girls, we are steadfast in our commitment to contributing to this transformation." Safeena emphasises the synergy between human compassion and technological innovation as the powerhouse for transformative change, "AI can help us find the most vulnerable girls faster and help us deliver quality education at scale however we must not forget that the human touch remains the indispensable element on the ground."
One of Educate Girls' most notable achievements is pioneering the world's first Development Impact Bond (DIB) in education that ties funding to outcomes. With the WISE Prize, the organisation is well-poised for its next big goal of impacting 10 million adolescent girls and young women in 10 years.
The focus extends beyond completion of education and connects girls and young women to further opportunities for employment and skilling. This commitment ensures that the future for girls in India is one of endless opportunities and dreams.
