DURBAN: Being the first non-white woman to open a law practice in KZN in 1967 and ultimately becoming one of the most influential females in the
country, Judge Navanetham “Navi” Pillay, has another feather to add to her academic cap.
Pillay, 76, is set to receive an honorary doctorate from the Durban University of Technology for contribution to equality and justice to
add to accolades she has already collected.
Pillay will receive an honorary doctorate in Philosophy of Management Sciences.
DUT’s chief executive, Alan Khan said honorary degrees from the DUT are conferred in recognition of the positive work done by prominent
South Africans.
“The doctorate is in recognition of the strong, determined and principled stance Pillay has taken against injustice all over the
world,” he said.
From humble beginnings in Clairwood, Pillay, has made her mark internationally as a human rights activist and legal expert, who
clamped down on war crimes as a judge on the first panel of the International Criminal Court.
Advocating for peace as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights was another of her missions.
Her activism began while fighting for freedom during the Apartheid era and even now in retirement she continues to champion for the
eradication of gender-based discrimination and violence.
In 2009, Forbes ranked Pillay in position 64 on their 100 most influential women list, and described her as a human rights watchdog.
Those sentiments were echoed earlier in 1995, when Nelson Mandela nominated Pillay as the first non-white woman to serve as a High Court
judge.