South Africa has declared gender-based violence a national disaster amid mounting protests, with hundreds of women taking to the streets across the country to demand urgent action. The G20 Women's Shutdown, organized by Women For Change, saw demonstrators gather in 15 locations including Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Cape Town, donning black clothing as a symbol of mourning and resistance.
The protesters staged a peaceful 15-minute silent lie-down protest, mirroring the 15 lives lost daily to gender-based violence in South Africa. The country has one of the world's highest femicide rates, with UN Women estimating it is five times higher than the global average. Women For Change urged women and LGBTQ+ communities to refrain from all paid and unpaid work, spend no money, and demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence.
The lie-down protest was culmination of a month-long campaign by Women For Change, which lobbied the government to declare gender-based violence a national disaster. An online petition garnered over a million signatures, with many people, including Grammy-award winning singer Tyla, changing their social media profiles to purple in solidarity.
In response to the campaign, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has announced that it will classify gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster, allowing authorities to dedicate resources and strengthen support for existing structures. The move was welcomed by officials, including Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also acknowledged the need for increased focus on gender-based violence, describing it as a "crisis." Women For Change hailed the announcement as a victory, stating they had "won" and forced the country to confront the truth. A follow-up meeting is planned to discuss a detailed action plan and timeline.
The protesters staged a peaceful 15-minute silent lie-down protest, mirroring the 15 lives lost daily to gender-based violence in South Africa. The country has one of the world's highest femicide rates, with UN Women estimating it is five times higher than the global average. Women For Change urged women and LGBTQ+ communities to refrain from all paid and unpaid work, spend no money, and demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence.
The lie-down protest was culmination of a month-long campaign by Women For Change, which lobbied the government to declare gender-based violence a national disaster. An online petition garnered over a million signatures, with many people, including Grammy-award winning singer Tyla, changing their social media profiles to purple in solidarity.
In response to the campaign, the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) has announced that it will classify gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster, allowing authorities to dedicate resources and strengthen support for existing structures. The move was welcomed by officials, including Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa.
President Cyril Ramaphosa also acknowledged the need for increased focus on gender-based violence, describing it as a "crisis." Women For Change hailed the announcement as a victory, stating they had "won" and forced the country to confront the truth. A follow-up meeting is planned to discuss a detailed action plan and timeline.
. I mean, 15 lives lost every day? That's just heartbreaking. I can see why the women are getting really frustrated and taking action - they have to! 
It's amazing that their campaign worked and the government finally acknowledged it as a national disaster 
. But let's be real, this is just the beginning. We need to keep pushing for change and making sure those in power follow through on their promises 
. I'm glad so many people are standing together with Women For Change - it's not about just women, it's about all of us working towards a more equal society 
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another country's women are fighting for their lives, literally... south africa just declared gender-based violence a national disaster, but how many more lives have to be lost before it's taken seriously? 
15 lives every day is insane, and the numbers are only getting worse. these women aren't messing around with protests and petitions - they're taking action and making their voices heard. 
from what i've seen, tyla's involvement has been a game-changer... but it's not just about her - it's about all the women who have suffered in silence for too long. 
let's hope this national disaster declaration leads to real change, not just empty promises... we need to see concrete actions and a commitment from those in power. 
A thorough plan of action and timeline are still needed to effectively tackle this problem...
! It's not going to fix everything overnight, but this is a major step in the right direction 
. Can't wait to see what comes out of that follow-up meeting 
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I'm so glad they finally did this! It's like we're still stuck on 'we need to talk about this' mode. Like, South Africa's femicide rate is literally 5x higher than the global avg, what even is that? 
– that's what I call dedication! Now it's time to put our words into action 
.