New Delhi: Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2024.
The international jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize, chaired by Shivshankar Menon, former national security advisor and former foreign secretary announced the award in recognition of Bachelet’s contributions to promote human rights, peace, and equality.
Bachelet’s remarkable career includes serving as the founding director of UN Women, UN high commissioner for human rights, and Chile’s first female president. Her contributions to India-Chile relations have also been recognised, particularly during her presidency when India and Chile signed a free trade agreement.
“In her various roles as the founding director of UN Women, the UN high commissioner for human rights, and as president of Chile, she has spoken strongly for gender equality and the rights of the most vulnerable sections of the population at home and across the world. Her personal courage and example in standing for peace and the rights of marginalised people continue to inspire men and women around the world,” the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said.
The trust added: “Both at home and abroad President Bachelet has been a global voice for equality and has worked tirelessly to advance the cause of women and of LGBTQ rights. She has spoken in and out of office about the denial of human rights in occupied Palestine and other places around the world.”
The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is pleased to announce the award of the Prize for 2024 to Her Excellency @mbachelet .
President Bachelet has served in various roles including as the Founding Director of UN Women, the UN… pic.twitter.com/p82SjeN4BZ
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 6, 2024
Bachelet was born on September 29, 1951, in La Cisterna, Santiago Province, Chile. Her life took a dramatic turn when general Augusto Pinochet seized power in a coup on September 11, 1973. Bachelet and her mother were arrested, imprisoned, and subjected to interrogation and torture.
After her release, Bachelet went into exile, first in Australia and then in East Germany, where she continued her medical studies. She eventually returned to Chile, where she became involved in politics and made history by becoming the country’s first female president in the 2006 presidential election.
During her two terms as president, from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018, Bachelet implemented significant education and tax reforms, the trust mentioned.
The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development is a prestigious award that recognises outstanding contributions to global peace and development. The award is given annually to individuals or organisations that have made significant contributions to promoting peace, disarmament, and development.
