Angeline Murimirwa, CEO of CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education), delivered a powerful speech Thursday night at the 2025 TIME100 Gala, focusing on the critical need to invest in girls' education across Africa.
Speaking to an audience of industry leaders, celebrities, and global changemakers, she underscored just how difficult the odds are for girls in rural Africa, where education remains out of reach for the vast majority.
“Did you know that only 5 out of 100 girls from the most marginalized families in Africa complete high school?” she asked during the event at Jazz at Lincoln Center. “You heard that right: 95% of the most marginalized girls in rural Africa never complete secondary school.”
Held annually in New York City, the TIME100 Gala celebrates those shaping the future across disciplines like culture, politics, science, and social justice. This year’s event was hosted by TIME100 honoree Snoop Dogg and was attended by other honorees, including Olympian Simone Biles, ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero, and global superstar Ed Sheeran.
Raised in a rural Zimbabwean village, Murimirwa described the sacrifices her family made for her education.
“I know too well the depth of despair that comes with exclusion, and the boundless possibilities that open up with every day in school," she said. “My mum sold two buckets of maize to buy me the blanket and toothbrush I needed to stay at the school I would attend, which was far from my village. My family gave up many meals to see me through,” she said.
Her community selected her for one of the first scholarships from CAMFED. Years later, Murimirwa became one of its first 400 graduates and helped grow it into a global movement. Today, CAMFED has supported the education of millions of girls across Ghana, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
“And when I made it, with the first 400 graduates of CAMFED, we started working on what was next,” she said. “Because we knew that education transforms your life—and it puts you in a position to be able to transform others'.”
The organization’s alumnae network, which is 313,000 strong, has become a grassroots engine for change, with each woman supporting an average of three more girls through school.
“We built a movement for girls’ education, led by young women who know first-hand the barriers that keep girls out of school,” she said.
She concluded with a passionate call to action: “Tackling our world’s biggest challenges and creating a brighter future is possible. And it starts with sending a girl to school. So ladies and gentlemen, let me make a toast: To my amazing mum. To my fellow girls’ education leaders. To everyone joining us on this journey as we charge ahead. This is the time to support more girls, to support them better, and to support them now!”
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The TIME100 Gala is TIME’s annual celebration of the TIME100 list of the world’s most influential people. The Gala brings together icons, leaders, change-makers, and celebrities from across industries and nations for one lively evening of meaningful dialogue and celebration.
TIME is teaming up with ABC to bring viewers inside the exclusive TIME100 Gala with a special television event. TIME100: The World’s Most Influential People, produced in partnership with P&G, airs Sunday, May 4 at 10 p.m. EDT on ABC, and the next day on Hulu, featuring host Snoop Dogg, a performance by Ed Sheeran, and appearances by Demi Moore, Serena Williams, and more.
The 2025 TIME100 Gala was presented by Booking.com, Circle, Diriyah Company, Prudential Financial, Toyota, Amazon, Absolut, Pfizer, and XPRIZE.