NEW DELHI: The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace Disarmament and Development for 2025 is awarded to Mozambican rights activist Graca Machel, the international jury for the award announced on Wednesday.
She has been chosen by the international jury of the prize, chaired by former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, for her path-breaking work in the field of education, health and nutrition, economic empowerment and humanitarian work under difficult circumstances, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust said in a statement.
Machel is a distinguished African stateswoman, politician and humanitarian whose life's work is rooted in the struggle for self-rule and protection of human rights, the statement said. "She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of vulnerable communities by creating a more just and equitable society for all," it said.
Born Graca Simbine on October 17, 1945, in rural Mozambique, she attended Methodist mission schools before receiving a scholarship to study German at the University of Lisbon, where her political consciousness regarding independence was first ignited, it said.
Upon returning to Mozambique in 1973, she joined the Mozambican Liberation Front (FRELIMO) as a freedom fighter and teacher.
Following independence in 1975, she became Mozambique's first Minister of Education and Culture.
"Under her tenure, there was a massive increase in school enrolment, with primary and secondary student participation rising from 40% to over 90% for males and 75% for females," the statement.
In the 1990s, Machel transitioned to the global stage and was appointed by the United Nations to lead a seminal study on the impact of armed conflict on children.
"Her 1996 report, The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, fundamentally impacted how the UN and its members operate in war zones.
For her tireless work, she was awarded the UN's Nansen Refugee Award and made an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1997," it said.
Her leadership and efforts extending to several high-level international bodies, has brought about transformational socio-economic development, the Trust said.
She is a founding member of The Elders and played a key role in establishing Girls Not Brides. She also serves as a member of the UN Secretary-General's Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group.
In recent years, Machel has focused on social transformation through her own organisations and academic leadership.
In 2010, she founded the Graca Machel Trust, which promotes women's economic empowerment, food security and good governance.
She also founded the Zizile Institute for Child Development.
In 2018, she was awarded the World Health Organisation's highest honour, the WHO Gold Medal, for her commendable contributions to the wellbeing of women and adolescents.
"The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2025 is awarded to Madam Graca Machel, for her path-breaking work in the field of education, health and nutrition, economic empowerment and humanitarian work under difficult circumstances; and for inspiring hope in millions for building a more equitable and just world," the statement said.