New Delhi: Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for peace, disarmament, and development on November 19, 2025, at Jawahar Bhawan, New Delhi. The award was presented to her by Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party and also the Chairperson of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Chairman of the jury Shivshankar Menon, and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

While presenting the award to Bachelet, Smt. Sonia Gandhi recalled her outstanding contributions not only to her own country but also to global peace. She said that Bachelet had witnessed firsthand the suffering, oppression, torture, and exile during her early years.

Congress Parliamentary Party’s Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi said, “As India’s first and only woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi reshaped our country with her policies dedicated to ameliorating poverty, deprivation, conflict and inequality. She once said and I quote – Peace we want because there is another war to fight- against poverty, disease and ignorance.” Her work reflected these beliefs, that everyone has the right to live without oppression, prejudice, poverty and violence. The breadth and depth of her accomplishments continue to be recalled and admired in India and across the world. As a leader with a compassionate heart, a deep love for her people, a fierce commitment to human rights and an unflinching faith in non-violence - her legacy continues to inspire countless people. She added that it was a remarkable coincidence that both Smt. Indira Gandhi and Bachelet were women who were born and raised during times of turmoil.

Smt. Sonia Gandhi further stated that when Bachelet returned to Chile after many years, she faced numerous challenges and also witnessed her country's transition to a democracy. She particularly praised Bachelet's work for women's empowerment and gender equality. Smt. Gandhi said that Bachelet's work has been based on efforts to ensure rights for all, especially women. Meanwhile, Bachelet expressed her deep gratitude and pride at being chosen for this prestigious award. She also expressed her sorrow over the recent terrorist incident in Delhi and offered her deepest condolences to the bereaved families. She stated that violence is never the solution; peace is always the path that leads us forward.

The former President of Chile said that Smt. Indira Gandhi believed that nations can prosper only when they live in harmony with one another. She further added that this belief seems even more important in today's divided world. She said that only by working together across nations, generations, and differences can we build a world of peace, equality, and dignity, where aspirations are not just dreams but realities for all. Bachelet concluded her speech by saying "thank you" in Hindi.

Earlier, Shivshankar Menon, while highlighting Bachelet's role in promoting global peace, said that she had made an impact far beyond the borders of Chile and Latin America. She was appointed the first director of the UN Women agency in 2010 and later served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Menon said that there could be no one more deserving of the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize than Bachelet.