UNESCO gives its Prize for Girls' and Women's Education to Project Soar and CARE Peru

9 October 2026

UNESCO awarded its 2026 Prize for Girls' and Women's Education at a ceremony at its headquarters in Paris on 9 October 2026.
The two laureates are Project Soar of Morocco, for its Project Soar in a Bag initiative, and CARE Peru, for its Girls with Opportunities project.
Each laureate receives US$50,000.
The prizes were presented by UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany and the Vice-Minister of Education of China, Ren Youqun.
The Director-General selects the laureates on the recommendation of an international jury.
The prize was established in 2015, is funded by the Government of China, is awarded to two laureates every year and supports Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 5.
Project Soar reports that in 2025, 97.5 per cent of participating girls passed their school year and 99 per cent remained free from child marriage.
CARE Peru reports that secondary completion among participants rose from about 65 per cent to about 82 per cent and that the project has reached more than 37,000 rural adolescent girls aged 14 to 19 since 2016.