Fueled by outrage over relentless violence, South African women’s rights groups are mobilizing for a nationwide “shutdown” to demand the government declare gender-based violence (GBV) a national disaster. The protest, scheduled for Friday, will see women refrain from work and school, wear black in mourning, and stage a 15-minute “lie-in” to honor the countless victims.
The movement, dubbed the G20 Women’s Shutdown, has galvanized public support, with a viral social media campaign turning profiles purple—the color of GBV awareness—and an online petition amassing over one million signatures. This collective action underscores the devastating statistics: South Africa has one of the highest rates of femicide globally, with 137 women murdered and over 1,000 raped in the first three months of this year alone.
Despite President Cyril Ramaphosa declaring GBV a “national crisis” in 2019, activists argue that government action has been critically insufficient.
“We’ve integrated violence… into our culture [and] into our social norms,” said Cameron Kasambala, spokesperson for Women for Change. She lamented the gap between legislation and implementation, stating that a lack of government transparency and follow-through has allowed the crisis to persist.
The National Disaster Management Centre has rejected the call to declare GBV a national disaster, claiming it does not meet legal requirements. However, protesters insist that the scale of the emergency demands a response equal to its severity, hoping the shutdown will force the government to set a new precedent for the nation.
By James Kisoo
