Malala calls for solidarity against gender oppression in Afghanistan

Malala Yousafzai, the global advocate for girls' education and the youngest Nobel Laureate, has urged South Africa to stand in solidarity against gender oppression in Afghanistan. She made her plea during the National Women's Day event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, marking the 70th anniversary of the Women's March. Yousafzai herself endured an attack by the Pakistani Taliban who shot her in the head in 2012 for her activism.

She condemned the Taliban's regime in Afghanistan as "gender apartheid" - a system that bans girls' education, legalizes wife-beating and has effectively erased women from public life. Malala calls on South Africa, a beacon of courage and conviction, to help eradicate this injustice. She believes that by remembering those who fought for their freedom, South Africa can also extend its support to Afghan women who are currently suffering. The hope is that together, they will witness a similar day of relief in Afghanistan.