PRETORIA – President Cyril Ramaphosa is delivering the keynote address at the 2026 National Women’s Day commemoration event at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, marking 70 years since the historic 1956 protest march.

The commemoration honours the at least 20 000 women who marched on the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956 to oppose the apartheid government’s decision to extend urban pass laws to women. That march became a defining moment in the struggle against apartheid and a precursor to the major political changes that followed over the coming decades, ultimately leading to the demise of the racist regime.

This year’s National Women’s Day commemoration takes place under the theme “Empowered Women, Empower Nations”.

The 1956 march, led by figures including Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Rahima Moosa and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, saw women from across the country deliver thousands of petitions to the government’s offices at the Union Buildings, a powerful act of defiance that resonated far beyond South Africa’s borders.

Seventy years on, the event reflects on the progress made in advancing women’s rights while acknowledging the challenges that remain, including gender-based violence, economic inequality and the ongoing fight for full representation and inclusion.

The event is being broadcast live on YouTube. WATCH LIVE NOW.

Source: Presidency of South Africa