Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)
President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers the keynote address at the 2026 National Women’s Day commemoration event in Union Building, Pretoria. This occasion marks the 70th anniversary of the 1956 protest march to the Union Buildings by at least 20 000 women. The 1956 march opposed the apartheid government’s decision to extend urban pass laws to women, and was a precursor to major political changes over coming decades that led to the demise of the racist regime in South Africa. The National Women’s Day commemorations this year take place under the theme “Empowered Women, Empower Nations”.