Pakistani human rights lawyer Jalila Haider has been named among four recipients of the 2026 Right Livelihood Award, widely known as an “alternative Nobel.”
The Sweden-based Right Livelihood Foundation announced the awards on Wednesday. The honour also went to US artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru and two women-led rights organisations.
Jalila Haider Recognised for Rights Work
Haider was honoured for her work challenging ethnic, state and gender-based persecution. She is the first female lawyer from Pakistan’s Hazara community.
The foundation highlighted her legal and human rights work. It said her efforts are guided by the principle that every person deserves equal rights and protection.
Haider has worked on issues involving minority rights, gender equality and access to justice. Her recognition places a Pakistani rights advocate among this year’s international laureates.
AI Researcher Timnit Gebru Honoured
Timnit Gebru received the award for challenging concentrated power in artificial intelligence and promoting technology focused on justice and human agency.
Gebru co-founded Black in AI in 2017. She later established the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, which examines the social impact of AI systems and concerns surrounding discrimination and unequal access to technology.
She previously worked on ethical AI research at Google and became known for raising concerns about bias in large language models.
Two Women-Led Groups Also Receive Award
The Rural Women’s Assembly was recognised for organising more than 178,000 small-scale farmers across 11 Southern African countries. The movement focuses on land rights, seed ownership and women’s autonomy.
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association was also honoured for its work supporting democracy, civic rights and legal protections in Georgia.
Established in 1980, the Right Livelihood Award recognises individuals and organisations working for social justice, human rights and sustainable change.
