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 color 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.

Warning: This report contains descriptions of sexual assault

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 honor of the 15 women who are murdered in the country every day.

The lie downs are happening in 15 locations across South Africa, including major cities such as Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg.

Allies in Eswatini, Kenya, and Namibia have also expressed their support for the protest and say they will join in.

The protest, dubbed the G20 Women's Shutdown, has been organized by Women for Change, who have also been spearheading the online campaign. An online petition has garnered over one million signatures, urging the government to take an even tougher stance against the scourge.

However, the National Disaster Management Centre has rejected the calls to declare GBV a national disaster, citing legal requirements.

In response to the ongoing violence, some women have taken matters into their own hands, forming groups to learn self-defense. Lynette Oxeley founded Girls on Fire to empower women through firearms training in a country where many feel unsafe.

As the protests continue to grow, it is clear that South African women are standing united in their demand for change and accountability from their government.