South African women's rights groups are mobilizing for a nationwide protest, demanding that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a national disaster, amidst alarming statistics indicating that attacks on women are rampant in the country.
The initiative, sparked by a viral social media movement, is set to culminate in a major 'shutdown' event coinciding with the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. Participants are encouraged to change their social media profile pictures to purple, symbolizing awareness and solidarity against GBV.
According to UN Women, South Africa has one of the highest rates of GBV worldwide, with women being murdered at a rate five times higher than the global average. Recent crime statistics reveal that between January and March of the current year, 137 women were murdered, alongside more than 1,000 cases of rape.
On the day of the protest, women are called to refrain from work or school as a symbolic withdrawal from the economy for one day and to lie down for 15 minutes at noon local time, in tribute to the victims of GBV. Many participants are also being urged to wear black to express mourning and resistance.
The protest, titled the G20 Women’s Shutdown, is spearheaded by an organization called Women for Change, which has also led an online petition accumulating over one million signatures to press the government for tougher measures against GBV.
While the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has dismissed the call to classify GBV as a national disaster on technical grounds, activists argue that the government’s previous declarations about GBV being a national crisis are not adequately addressed in practice. They express frustration over a lack of decisive action and implementation of existing protections.
Women for Change spokesperson, Cameron Kasambala, highlighted the gap between legislation and implementation, stating, We’ve integrated violence into our culture and into our social norms. Activists emphasize that genuine government action towards this epidemic would manifest a change in ground-level responses from society.
Furthermore, the phenomenon has sparked discussions on self-defense, with groups like Girls on Fire teaching women how to protect themselves through gun ownership, a legal avenue for self-defense in South Africa. Community members, many of whom have faced violence, are taking back control as the rate of GBV continues to rise.
As the protest approaches, support continues to grow, resonating not just within South Africa but internationally, emphasizing the urgent need for substantive action against gender-based violence.
