CII Forum on Girls’ Education Features Safeena Husain and Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma at Launch of Every Last Girl

Educate Girls Founder Safeena Husain unveils Every Last Girl in dialogue with Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, IAS, highlighting progress and gaps in India’s gender parity journey

The Confederation of Indian Industry convened a forum on girls’ education to mark the launch of Every Last Girl: A Journey to Educate India’s Forgotten Daughters, bringing together policymakers, educators, and industry representatives for a discussion on gender parity and access to schooling.
The book was unveiled by Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, in conversation with Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Uttar Pradesh. The session was moderated by Dr Noor Khan, Educationist and Trustee of Lucknow Bioscope Sanatkada Trust.

The discussion examined India’s progress in improving enrolment and gender parity in education while acknowledging regional disparities and the continued presence of out-of-school girls.
Founded in 2007 in Rajasthan, Educate Girls has expanded to more than 30,000 villages across Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, supported by a volunteer network of over 55,000 community members known as Team Balika. The organisation has facilitated the enrolment of more than two million out-of-school girls and strengthened learning outcomes for millions of children.

In 2025, Educate Girls became the first Indian organisation to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, marking a significant milestone for the girls’ education movement in India.
Reflecting on the recognition, Safeena Husain said the award created an opportunity to amplify stories from communities where access to education has transformed outcomes for girls and families. She reiterated the organisation’s vision of reaching 10 million learners by 2035 and underscored the importance of ensuring girls complete secondary education to remain economically included.

Dr Noor Khan noted that while enrolment rates have improved nationally, gaps remain in retention and completion. Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma highlighted improvements in the gender parity index over the past five decades, observing that while macro data reflects substantial gains, individual stories reveal ongoing challenges at district and community levels.
The forum concluded with a shared emphasis on sustained collaboration between government, civil society, and industry to ensure that every girl has access to quality education.

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