14,000 girls stayed in school — and a Peruvian program just won UNESCO's top prize

CARE Peru's Niñas con Oportunidades program has been named one of only two winners worldwide of the 2026 UNESCO Prize for Girls' and Women's Education, awarded October 9 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, with $50,000 to expand the work. Running since 2016 in rural and vulnerable communities, the program teaches socio-emotional skills, well-being, financial education, and life planning. A 2022–2024 evaluation found fifth-year secondary completion rose from 65% to 82%, adolescent pregnancies at participating schools fell from 18 to 9, and financial literacy and STEAM skills rose 73.3% among three-year participants. More than 14,000 students were reached between 2022 and 2025.