Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet Conferred Indira Gandhi Prize for 2024

Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, a globally respected champion of human rights and gender equality, has been awarded the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2024. The ceremony took place in New Delhi on Wednesday, where Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi personally presented the honour to Bachelet, who made history as Chile’s first woman President and later served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Delivering the citation, Sonia Gandhi paid rich tribute to India’s first and only woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, describing her as one of the most extraordinary leaders of the twentieth century whose policies transformed the nation by directly confronting poverty, deprivation, conflict, and deep-rooted inequality. She recalled that the prize was instituted in 1985 by the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust to perpetuate her vision of a world free from violence and injustice, where peace is not an end in itself but a means to wage a greater battle against hunger, disease, and ignorance.

Sonia Gandhi quoted Indira Gandhi’s powerful words: “Peace we want because there is another war to fight against poverty, disease, and ignorance,” emphasising that Bachelet’s lifelong work perfectly embodies this philosophy. From leading Chile through two transformative presidential terms between 2006–2010 and 2014–2018 to steering the United Nations Human Rights Council with moral authority, Bachelet has consistently placed human dignity, women’s empowerment, and inclusive development at the centre of her agenda.

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Bachelet’s tenure as President saw landmark reforms in education, healthcare, social protection, and constitutional change, while her role at the UN amplified the voices of the marginalised across continents. Her courageous stand against authoritarianism, having herself endured imprisonment and exile under the Pinochet regime, has made her an enduring symbol of resilience and democratic renewal.

The Indira Gandhi Prize, regarded as one of India’s highest civilian honours in the realm of peace and development, has previously been bestowed upon global icons including Mikhail Gorbachev, Jimmy Carter, and Angela Merkel. By selecting Michelle Bachelet in 2024, the jury has reaffirmed the enduring relevance of Indira Gandhi’s ideals and celebrated the shared legacy of two pioneering women leaders who redefined political possibility for generations to come.

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