UNESCO announces winners for Girls’ and Women’s Education Prize 2017

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in September 2017 announced the winners of 2017 edition of the UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova announced the names of the two laureates from Peru and Thailand recommended by an International Jury.

Each of the two organisations was honoured with the prize money of USD 50000 at an official ceremony held in Xiamen, People’s Republic of China, on 5 September 2017.

The Development and Education Programme for Daughters and Communities Centre in the Greater Mekong Sub-Region (DEPDC/GMS) in Thailand is awarded for its project entitled “Education and Life Skills Training Programme to Help Stateless Children and Women Migrating from Shan State to Thailand”.

The project provides education and skill training to migrant girls and women to protect them from the risks of human trafficking and sexual or labour exploitation. It also helps the girls and women in their rehabilitation who are victim of any such abuses. The project is a globally recognised model that can be replicated in the country and as well as anywhere in the world.

The second winner is “Mobile MaCTec Bus Labs/Mini Academy of Science and Technology” project of Mini Academy of Science and Technology – MaCTec Peru. It is chosen for the prestigious award due to its efforts in reducing the gender gap among the girls of rural areas in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The UNESCO Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education rewards innovative was established in 2015 by the UNESCO’s Executive Board. The award is funded by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The prestigious honour was first awarded to projects from Indonesia and Zimbabwe in 2016.