Malala Yousafzai in Pretoria on Women's Day Calls on SA to Lead Fight Against Gender Apartheid

• Malala Yousafzai visited South Africa on Women's Day to stand in solidarity with Afghan women fighting Taliban oppression
• The Nobel laureate addressed an audience in Pretoria alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa, calling gender apartheid a crime against humanity
• South Africans were moved by Malala's speech, drawing a powerful parallel between the 1956 Women's March and Afghan women's struggle today

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani activist and youngest Nobel Prize laureate in history, marked South Africa's Women's Day on 9 August 2026 by delivering a powerful speech in Pretoria, standing alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa to call for global recognition of gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.

The 28-year-old activist, who survived a Taliban assassination attempt at age 15, shared the moment on her Instagram page on 10 August, waving a South African flag and writing that she had the honour of walking in their footsteps alongside Afghan women who are leading their own fight for freedom today.

Read also

"You're obsessed with SA": Ghanaian man says South Africa is a misplaced and nameless country

Malala's message from Pretoria

Speaking from a podium at a formal indoor event, Malala drew a direct line between South Africa's history and the current reality for Afghan women. She noted that South Africa declared gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster last year, while the Taliban, in the same period, declared it legal for a man to beat his wife or daughter.

"This is not culture. It is not religion. It is a system of segregation and domination," she said.

She invoked the spirit of the 1956 Women's March, in which more than 20,000 women took to the streets to resist apartheid laws, saying that the petition carried the words:

"An insult to African women is an insult to all women." For Malala, that message belongs equally to Afghan women today. "We look to South Africa once again to inspire the world with your courage and conviction to help us make gender apartheid a crime," she said.

Read also

SA company mourns receptionist Jaydin Magerman after tragic shooting

She expressed gratitude to President Ramaphosa for supporting the call to formally recognise gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, describing it as an important step toward justice for Afghan women and girls.

Mzansi responds to Malala's visit

South Africans were deeply moved, sharing their reactions on her Instagram page:

@sikhumbuzo.zuma wrote:

"Happy Women's Day to all beautiful women of South Africa, and thank you to Ms @malala for choosing South Africa to celebrate such an important occasion hosted by His Excellency President @cyrilramaphosa and the mother of our nation, First Lady Mama Dr Motsepe. ❤️🔥👏"

@tsepangmolisana said:

"Happy Women's Day. I was lucky enough to be in the audience when you spoke at the @nelsonmandelafoundation annual lecture in 2024. Welcome back, Malala 🇿🇦❤️"

@janemennigke shared:

"So thrilled you are there in my country! Xoxo Wishing you every joy and blessing!"

See the full clip here.

More on Women's Month in SA

• Briefly News recently reported on anti-GBV organisation Women For Change condemning Cameron Waldeck-Cooks' death as femicide, with founder Sabrina Walter calling for urgent government action.
• The Presidency honoured SAPS Brigadier Dineo Mokwele at a special Women's Day event, despite her ongoing legal battle following her 2024 appointment.
• Meanwhile, Kabza De Small had social media in stitches after cheekily asking female DJs to lift speakers because it's their month.

Source: Briefly News