The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation has announced CAMFED, the Campaign for Female Education, as the recipient of the 2021 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

Now in its twenty-sixth year, the $2.5 million prize recognizes a nonprofit organization that has made extraordinary contributions to the alleviation of human suffering, as determined by an independent international jury.

Founded in 1993 in response to the scale of girls' exclusion from education, CAMFED is a pan-African movement revolutionizing girls' education that has supported more than 4.8 million disadvantaged students to date in nearly seven thousand schools in Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The CAMFED model provides financial and social support to enable girls to attend and thrive in primary and secondary school, followed by business training, finance, and support services to help them access higher education and employment opportunities. Those joining the CAMFED Association, a peer support and leadership network, commit to mentoring and supporting one another as well as the next generation of young women as they grow into role models in their communities, working to secure every child's right to go to school.

"We are thrilled to have this recognition at this critical moment," said CAMFED's Africa executive director Angeline Murimirwa. "So much is at stake. Around the world we are faced with the question: 'How do we navigate the impact of COVID-19 and climate change without turning back the clock on women and girls?' The Hilton Humanitarian Prize shines a bright light on our movement, rising from Africa. This prize belongs to our communities, for rallying around the education and leadership of young women who know intimately what poverty and exclusion feel like, and what it takes for girls to succeed. Because when girls succeed, and women lead, we can tackle the world's most intractable challenges together."

"CAMFED has demonstrated an ability to make a large-scale difference to girls' lives through education," said former Australian prime minister and Global Partnership for Education chair Julia Gillard. "I have been truly impressed by their approach to scaling their model while retaining an unremitting focus on reaching girls who are the most vulnerable and 'invisible.' Their results are well-evidenced, sustainable, and replicable, and the societal consequences are deep and profound. CAMFED is creating a movement of future leaders who I believe have the potential to transform a continent. I am thrilled to see this recognized by the Hilton Humanitarian Prize."

(Photo credit: Eliza Powell)