It is a non-governmental organization that holistically tackles issues at the root of gender inequality in India’s educational system. Their comprehensive model reforms government schools through community ownership and has helped to ensure over 90 percent enrollment and higher attendance, as well as improved school infrastructure, quality of education, and learning outcomes for all girls.

Educate Girls works in over 8,500 schools across more than 4,500 villages, in some of the most rural parts of the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Their comprehensive model reforms government schools through community ownership. They successfully engage girl students, teachers, schools, communities, and the government to create a platform that is scalable, sustainable, and gives value for money. Their goal is to improve access and quality of education for over four million children living in underserved communities in India by 2018.

By empowering communities to improve girls’ education and schools, more girls can be educated. If more girls are educated, then their health, income levels, and overall livelihoods improve, bringing about social transformation.

About Safeena Husain:

Safeena graduated from the London School of Economics and has worked in the development sector with both rural and urban under-served communities around the world. From 1997 to 2004, she was the Executive Director for Child Family Health International in San Francisco, CA USA, managing and supporting a range of development programs in the area of health. Safeena was also Board Chair of the International Development Exchange. In San Francisco, a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable solutions to counter poverty in Africa, Asia & Latin America.

AMBITION FOR CHANGE
Strong community structures hold government and schools accountable for quality girls’ education. Each community believes in, demands and contributes to a girl-inclusive, child-centered, high quality education from its government school.

PATH TO SCALE
Improve Existing Systems
Public schools remain the primary vehicle for educating all children including girls. Educate Girls expands the scope of its interventions by building a volunteer network for community outreach and engagement.

IMPACT & ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Improving performance and educational outcomes for 7,500 schools and 950,000 children in six “gender gap” districts in Rajasthan where indicators of girls’ education have been the lowest.
• Launching India’s first Development Impact Bond to support education, serving as an example for the education system and impact investors.

Awards

• Recently won the 2017 Niti Ayog Women Transforming India Award
• Educate Girls has received the 2015 Skoll Foundation Award
• The 2014 WISE Award
• The 2014 USAID Millennium Alliance Award
• The 2014 Stars Impact Award
• The British Asian Trust’s Special Recognition Award from HRH Prince Charles for outstanding contribution in education the 2016 NDTV-L’Oreal Paris Women of Worth Award in the Education Category

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