NEW DELHI: Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will receive the 2024 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust announced on Friday. The awardee was selected by a jury chaired by former national security advisor and foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon.
The prize honors Bachelet's contributions to human rights, peace, and equality. The trust stressed her roles as the first director of UN women, UN high commissioner for human rights, and two-term President of Chile. The award also recognized her "contributions to India's relations with Chile."
"The International Jury of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development, chaired by Shivshankar Menon, is pleased to announce the award of the prize for 2024 to Her Excellency Veronica Michelle Bachelet Jeria, better known as Michelle Bachelet. President Bachelet is one of the world's most prominent voices for human rights, peace, and equality," the trust said in a press release.
Bachelet served as Chile's president from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018. During her tenure, she implemented education and tax reforms, and a free trade agreement was signed between India and Chile.
She led UN women from 2010 to 2013 and later served as UN high commissioner for human rights from 2018 to 2022. The trust stressed her global advocacy for women, LGBTQ rights, and human rights.
The Indira Gandhi Prize includes a cash award of Rs 25 lakh and a citation. Established in 1986, the prize is awarded annually to individuals and organizations promoting international peace and development.
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