Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, joins 16 international honourees on TIME list as Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO, Educate Girls, cites impact across 30,000 villages in 12 states
Mumbai, February 27, 2026: Safeena Husain, Founder of Educate Girls, has been named to the TIME Women of the Year 2026 list, which recognises global leaders advancing equity and opportunity for women and girls.
She is among 16 honourees this year, alongside international figures from the fields of entertainment, sport and public life. The recognition brings international attention to grassroots efforts focused on girls’ education in rural, remote and tribal regions of India.
Safeena Husain founded Educate Girls in 2007 to address the challenge of out of school girls. What began in a small cluster of villages in Rajasthan has expanded to over 30,000 villages across 12 states. The organisation works in partnership with state governments and mobilises community volunteers to enrol girls and improve foundational learning outcomes.
In her interview with TIME, Safeena Husain said, “From day one till today, it is focused on the out-of-school girl, because that’s my lived experience. That’s what I know, what it feels like to be left behind.”
The honour follows a significant year for the organisation. In 2025, Educate Girls became the first Indian organisation to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award and surpassed its target under the TED Audacious Project. The organisation has supported over 2 million out of school girls to return to education.
Safeena Husain is also the author of Every Last Girl: A Journey to Educate India’s Forgotten Daughters, published in January, which combines her personal journey with stories from underserved communities and examines the barriers that keep girls out of school.
Responding to the recognition, Safeena Husain said, “I am honoured and humbled to be named alongside such trailblazing leaders. This recognition brings attention to India’s grassroots movement for girls’ education and spotlights our girls and their resilience and determination. It strengthens our resolve to reach ten million more by 2035 and ensure every last girl has voice, choice and agency.”
Gayatri Nair Lobo, CEO of Educate Girls, said the honour reflects sustained collaboration at scale. “We are proud to see Safeena recognised on TIME’s global stage for a vision that has brought back over 2 million girls to education across rural India. This recognition reinforces the importance of continued partnerships to reach girls who are still out of school and to support them in staying and succeeding. It is also a reflection of the dedication of our 55,000 plus community volunteers, gender champions, partners and supporters.”
TIME will celebrate the 2026 honourees at the Women of the Year Leadership Forum and Women of the Year Gala on March 10 in Los Angeles.
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