Indian-origin South African jurist Navanethem ‘Navi’ Pillay has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2026. Navi Pillay was born in South Africa on September 23, 1941, to Tamil Indian parents. As a poor Indian South African growing up under apartheid, she faced intersectional layers of hardships and discrimination.

She served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

The Nobel Committee awarded Pillay the Nobel Peace Prize “for her efforts to promote peace and international law”.

The Nobel Committee said Pillay has held states and national leaders accountable and brought hope to victims of violence and conflict.