Safeena Husain (Indian Social Activist) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Social Activist
Nationality	Indian
Date of Birth	21/01/1971
Age	55 years
Birthplace	New Delhi, India

Latest News about Safeena Husain

31/08/2025

Educate Girls, the non-profit founded by Safeena Husain, became the first Indian organization to win the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award, often called Asia's Nobel Prize. The award recognized the organization's decades-long work mobilizing out-of-school girls for enrollment and providing remedial learning in marginalized communities across India, with the ceremony held on November 7, 2025 in Manila.

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Bio/Wiki

Profession(s)	Social Activist and Entrepreneur

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram
College/University	The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (1992-1995) Harvard Business School (2012)
Educational Qualification	Bachelor of Science (BSc), Economics History
LinkedIn	Executive Education Program, Building a Global Enterprise in India Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management (SPNM)
Honorary Doctorate	London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (2024)

Personal Life

Marital Status	Married
Affairs/Boyfriends	Hansal Mehta (film director)
Marriage Date	22/05/2022
Marriage Place	Taj Campton Place, San Francisco, California

Relationships & More

Husband/Spouse

Hansal Mehta (film director)

Children

Kimaya (elder)
Rihanna (younger)

Parents

Father	Yusuf Bakshish Husain (an actor and a historian)
Mother	Name

Family

Father	Yusuf Bakshish Husain
Mother	Name
Spouse	Hansal Mehta
Children	Kimaya (elder) Rihanna (younger)

Career

Awards, Honours, Achievements	Beyond Business Award by Economic Times (2019) Women Transforming India Award by NITI Aayog (2017) NDTV-L'Oreal Women of Worth Award (2016) Listed in the Empowering Billion Women's 100 List of Most Influential Global Leaders Empowering Women Worldwide (2015) Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship by Skoll Foundation (2015) The WISE Award presented by Qatar Foundaiton (2015) Stars Impact Award by Stars Foundation (2014) USAID Millenium Alliance Award by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (2014) Chosen as a Rainer Arnhold Fellow (2013) Chosen as a Women Change Maker India Fellow by Womanity Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland (2012) Winner of India Development Marketplace Competition held by World Bank (2011) Awarded Winner Edelgive Social Innovation Honours Award by Edelgive Foundation (2011) Winner of Dasra Village Capital Award (2010) Ramon Magsaysay Award for Educate Girls (2025) First Indian woman to receive the WISE Prize for Education (2023) USAID Millennium Alliance Award by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (2014)

Awards, Honours, Achievements

Beyond Business Award by Economic Times (2019)
Women Transforming India Award by NITI Aayog (2017)
NDTV-L'Oreal Women of Worth Award (2016)
Listed in the Empowering Billion Women's 100 List of Most Influential Global Leaders Empowering Women Worldwide (2015)
Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship by Skoll Foundation (2015)
The WISE Award presented by Qatar Foundaiton (2015)
Stars Impact Award by Stars Foundation (2014)
USAID Millenium Alliance Award by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (2014)
Chosen as a Rainer Arnhold Fellow (2013)
Chosen as a Women Change Maker India Fellow by Womanity Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland (2012)
Winner of India Development Marketplace Competition held by World Bank (2011)
Awarded Winner Edelgive Social Innovation Honours Award by Edelgive Foundation (2011)
Winner of Dasra Village Capital Award (2010)
Ramon Magsaysay Award for Educate Girls (2025)
First Indian woman to receive the WISE Prize for Education (2023)
USAID Millennium Alliance Award by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways (2014)

Social Media

Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/officialsafeenahusain/
LinkedIn	https://www.linkedin.com/in/safeenahusain/

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Safeena tied the knot with acclaimed film director Hansal Mehta.
2. Established Educate Girls (EG) to empower girls through education in India.
3. Educate Girls has over 950,000 enrolled girls, benefiting 11.5 million individuals.
4. The organization boasts 2,000 staff members and 15,000 volunteers.
5. She affectionately calls the girl volunteers 'Balika Volunteers'.
6. Recognized in the Top 100: Most Inspiring Kindergarten to 12th Educationists list.
7. Showcased on Times Now's 'Amazing Indians' segment.
8. Looks up to her father and husband as equality advocates.
9. Serves as an advisor for various Non-Profit Organisations besides Educate Girls.
10. Worked in San Francisco as the Executive Director for Child Family Health International from 1998-2004.
11. Moved to Mumbai in 2005 and founded Educate Girls in 2007.
12. Received an honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics in 2024 for her work with Educate Girls.
13. Her own education was interrupted during childhood due to family difficulties, which inspired her mission.
14. She is currently writing a book about her work with Educate Girls.
15. Educate Girls has enrolled over 1.1 million girls, benefiting over 15.5 million individuals.
16. Under her leadership, Educate Girls launched the world's first Development Impact Bond in education, which exceeded its targets upon completion in 2018.
17. Educate Girls has over 1.1 million enrolled girls, benefiting over 15.5 million individuals.

Safeena Husain Social Activist Indian New Delhi, India