海角大神

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said Dec. 5 that the world needs to recognize and confront the 鈥済ender apartheid鈥� against women and girls imposed by the Taliban since they seized power in Afghanistan more than two years ago.

She urged the international community to take collective and urgent action to end the 鈥渄ark days鈥� in Afghanistan. Ms. Yousafzai was awarded the peace prize in 2014 at the age of 17 for her fight for girls鈥� education in her home country, Pakistan. She is the youngest Nobel laureate.

Two years earlier, she survived an assassination attempt by the Pakistani Taliban 鈥� a separate militant group but an ally of the Afghan Taliban 鈥� when she was shot in the head on a bus after school.

The 26-year-old activist spoke to The Associated Press after delivering the annual Nelson Mandela lecture in Johannesburg on the 10th anniversary of the death of South Africa鈥檚 anti-apartheid leader and Nobel laureate.

Ms. Yousafzai is also the youngest person to give the lecture, following in the footsteps of past lecturers, including former President Barack Obama, United Nations Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres, and Microsoft founder聽and philanthropist Bill Gates.

She dedicated her speech to Afghan women and girls, hoping to re-focus the world鈥檚 attention on their oppression amid the wars in Gaza and Ukraine.

鈥淚t took a bullet to my head for the world to stand with me,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hat will it take for the world to stand with girls in Afghanistan?鈥�

Since their takeover, the Taliban have banned education for girls beyond the sixth grade and imposed severe restrictions on women, barring them from work and most public spaces and seeking to implement their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.

鈥淎fghanistan has only seen dark days after it fell to the Taliban,鈥� Ms. Yousafzai said in the AP interview. 鈥淚t has been two and half years and most girls have not seen school again.鈥�

Ms. Yousafzai appealed to the United Nations to 鈥渞ecognize the current state of Afghanistan as a gender apartheid鈥� and cited recent reports of 鈥渨omen being detained, put into prisons and beaten and even put into forced marriages.鈥�

鈥淭wo and a half years is a very long time,鈥� Ms. Yousafzai said and added that it could cost a woman her future.

Ms. Yousafzai also described as 鈥渉eartbreaking鈥� Islamabad鈥檚 new policy of forceful deportations of Afghans who are in Pakistan illegally, saying that deporting them would put the lives of women and girls who are forced to go back at risk.

She also called for an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war and decried that 鈥渟o many children鈥檚 and women鈥檚 lives [have been] lost鈥� in besieged Gaza.

The war 鈥� sparked by the militant Hamas group鈥檚 unprecedented Oct. 7 attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel 鈥� has so far killed more than 15,890 people in Gaza, the majority of them women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory鈥檚 Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths.

Ms. Yousafzai said the world must hold accountable those on both sides who have violated international law and committed war crimes.

鈥淲e need to make sure that we always are on the side of the innocent people,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd we are advocating for protecting them and we are advocating for stopping more wars and conflicts.鈥�

Ms. Yousafzai praised the awarding of this year鈥檚 Nobel Peace Prize to Iranian women鈥檚 rights and pro-democracy activist Narges Mohammadi, who remains imprisoned in Tehran鈥檚 notorious Evin Prison. Ms. Mohammadi鈥檚 children are due to accept the Nobel medal and diploma on her behalf on Dec. 10.

鈥淲hen we see more women being appreciated for their tireless efforts to bring justice, to fight against oppression, and to fight against gender discrimination, it gives us hope because you realize that you are not alone,鈥� Ms. Yousafzai said.

Ms. Yousafzai began her fight against the oppression of women and girls by writing and publishing blogs at the age of 11.

She had a heartfelt message for young girls today, urging them to find their voice.

鈥淒on鈥檛 wait for anyone else to speak for you,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou have the power to stand up for yourself.鈥�

This story was reported by The Associated Press. Gerald Imray reported from Cape Town, South Africa.