Former President of Chile Veronica Michelle Bachelet Jeria was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2024 for her advocacy for gender equality and the rights of vulnerable populations.
The award was announced by the international jury of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust, chaired by former Foreign Secretary and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon.
“The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development for 2024 is awarded to Her Excellency Michelle Bachelet for being an exemplary and inspirational figure to women and men around the world. She has steadfastly strived for peace, gender equality, human rights, democracy, and development under various circumstances, significantly contributing to India’s relations with Chile,” the Trust stated.
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Michelle Bachelet is a founding member of UN Women and served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. She has consistently advocated for gender equality and the rights of the most vulnerable populations globally.
Bachelet faced incarceration during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and after her release, she went into exile. She later returned to Chile and became the country’s first female president, serving from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018.
{{/usCountry}}Bachelet faced incarceration during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, and after her release, she went into exile. She later returned to Chile and became the country’s first female president, serving from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2014 to 2018.
{{/usCountry}}During her presidency, Bachelet implemented significant education and tax reforms. It was also during her time in office that India and Chile signed a free trade agreement.
Bachelet became the inaugural Director of UN Women and served as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022.
“Both at home and abroad, President Bachelet has been a global voice for equality and has tirelessly worked to advance the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community. She has spoken out about human rights violations in occupied Palestine and various other regions worldwide. Internationally, she is renowned for her courageous stance on progressive causes, peace, and human values, remaining undeterred by criticism,” the statement concluded.