South Africa's Purple Protest: A Call to End Gender Violence

Fri Nov 21 2025 07:18:43 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Women across South Africa join a nationwide protest, demanding gender-based violence be declared a national disaster, ahead of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

South African women are raising their voices against rampant gender-based violence (GBV) with a nationwide protest dubbed the 'G20 Women's Shutdown'. This campaign, amplified through social media, encourages citizens to participate in a day of silence and solidarity by wearing purple or black. Despite high levels of violence against women, government efforts have fallen short, prompting activists to push for greater action and recognition of GBV as a national crisis.

South African women's rights groups are calling for nationwide protests to demand that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a national disaster in a country where attacks on women have become commonplace.

The campaign began with a viral social media movement and will culminate in a nationwide shutdown on Friday, ahead of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.

Celebrities, citizens and nations have shown their solidarity by changing their social media profile pictures to purple – a colour often linked to GBV awareness.

South Africa experiences some of the world's highest levels of GBV, with the rate at which women are killed five times higher than the global average, according to UN Women.

Between January and March this year, 137 women were murdered and more than 1,000 raped, according to South African crime statistics.

On Friday, women are being urged to refrain from going to work or school, withdraw from the economy for one day, and lie down for 15 minutes at 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT) in honour of the women murdered in the country.

The protest, dubbed the G20 Women's Shutdown, has been organised by Women for Change, which has also been spearheading the online campaign. There has also been an online petition, signed by over one million people, calling for the government to take an even tougher stance against the scourge.

The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has rejected the calls to declare GBV a national disaster, saying it doesn't fall within the legal requirements.

Despite this pushback, activists remain resolute, citing insufficient government action since gender-based violence was first declared a national crisis in 2019. They are urging the government to transform declarations into real, impactful change.

The movement has gained traction with the support of influential figures, including celebrities who have participated in the social media campaign. All eyes will be on the G20 Summit as activists hope to amplify their message on an international platform.