RefuSHE Competitors

GEMS Education is one of the world’s leading private K-12 education providers, educating over 200,000 students from 176+ nationalities across its global network of owned and managed schools. With nearly half a million alumni, GEMS has built a legacy of impact that spans generations and continents. Established in Dubai in 1959, GEMS remains a family-founded and family-led organisation, guided by its visionary founder and chairman Sunny Varkey, and his sons Dino Varkey (Group CEO) and Jay Varkey (Deputy Group CEO). With a focus on delivering high-quality education to students from all walks of life, GEMS offers a wide range of curricula and learning pathways. Each year, GEMS students graduate into the world’s top universities, including all eight Ivy League institutions and every UK Russell Group university, and go on to become leaders, innovators, and changemakers in every sector. Through its expanding school network and philanthropic initiatives, GEMS is committed to its mission: to put a quality education within reach of every learner, everywhere.

UN Women is the United Nations agency for women's rights, gender equality and women's empowerment. A global champion ForAllWomenAndGirls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide. UN Women supports UN Member States as they set global standards for achieving gender equality, and works with governments and civil society to design laws, policies, programmes and services needed to implement these standards. It stands behind women’s equal participation in all aspects of life, focusing on five priority areas: increasing women’s leadership and participation; ending violence against women; engaging women in all aspects of peace and security processes; enhancing women’s economic empowerment; and making gender equality central to national development planning and budgeting. UN Women also coordinates and promotes the UN system’s work in advancing gender equality.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that stands with girls to tear down barriers, save lives and build a world where equality for girls leads to progress for all. Across the globe, girls face more risks and fewer choices. Gains that took decades to secure — like staying in school, choosing if or when to marry or have children, and shaping their own futures — are under threat. And in conflict zones, girls are being deliberately attacked — killed in schools and homes, abducted, starved or recruited by armed groups — simply because they are girls. But girls aren’t backing down. They’re raising their voices and leading the fight for change. Plan backs girls to lead on what matters most: a quality education, access to clean water and enough to eat, safety from violence and the freedom to live out their childhood without being forced into marriage or motherhood. For over 85 years and with deep community roots, strong partnerships and decades of trust, Plan’s work saves lives in the moment and evolves with girls through every stage of life.