Who is Navi Pillay, daughter of Indian-origin bus driver who won Nobel Peace Prize

The daughter of a Durban bus driver, Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay's journey to winning the prestigious 2026 Nobel Peace Prize began in apartheid-era South Africa.

She was once banned from entering the chambers of judges in South Africa because of her skin colour. However, Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay did not allow it to affect her legal career as she went on to become the first non-white woman judge of the High Court of South Africa. On Friday, the Indian-origin Pillay (85), who is of Tamil descent, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to "promote peace and international law".

The former United Nations Human Rights chief is known for her tireless efforts in defending anti-apartheid activists in South Africa and helping prosecute the perpetrators of genocide in Rwanda. The daughter of a Durban bus driver, her journey to winning the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize began in apartheid-era South Africa.

Apart from serving as a judge on the High Court in South Africa, her distinguished career includes stints in the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. She also served as the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

WHO IS NAVI PILLAY?

Born to parents of Indian Tamil descent, Pillay rose from a community that faced racial and economic barriers to becoming a leading figure in international law.

Her parents, Santhama and Narrainsamy Naidoo, had a humble background and were poor, raising a family of eight children.

Despite the challenges faced by the blacks during the apartheid era, Pillay completed her education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963 from the University of Natal. Two years later, she earned a law degree. She went on to complete her doctorate from Harvard University.

In 1965, she married Gaby Pillay, a lawyer also of Indian descent. They adopted two children - Isvari and Kamini.

The jurist once told a South African media outlet how she used to take her daughters to a public park despite knowing that swings were reserved only for whites.

In 1967, she became the first woman of colour to open her own law firm in Natal. From a small office, Pillay spent years defending anti-apartheid activists and political prisoners.

Her work towards women's rights in South Africa has been equally extraordinary. In 1992, she founded the women's rights group Equality Now with Jessica Neuwirth, a human rights leader, which worked to abolish harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and forced child marriage.

In 1995, she was appointed as a judge in South Africa's High Court after the end of apartheid.

FROM APARTHEID SOUTH AFRICA TO INTERNATIONAL COURTS

The same year, her career took an international turn when she was elected a judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

The tribunal was established to prosecute those responsible for the 1994 genocide, where lakhs of members of the Tutsi ethnic group were killed by nationalist militias. Thousands of women were allegedly raped. The trigger was believed to be the assassination of then Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana.

Pillay served on the tribunal for eight years, including four years as its president, from 1999 to 2003. Pillay subsequently served as a judge at the International Criminal Court.

In 2008, Pillay became the first woman to lead the UN human rights office. More recently, she chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry and found that genocide was occurring in Gaza.

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