On Friday, November 21, 2025, South Africa was swept by a wave of black and purple as thousands of women, LGBTQI+ individuals, and allies took to the streets—or stayed home—in a powerful protest against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. From Cape Town’s storied Company’s Garden to Johannesburg’s bustling Mary Fitzgerald Square, and along Durban’s iconic Golden Mile, demonstrators united under one message: enough is enough.
The National Shutdown Against GBV, orchestrated by the advocacy group Women For Change, called on citizens to don black as a symbol of mourning and resistance, withdraw from work and school, and step back from the economy for a single day. At noon, participants across 15 locations lay down for 15 minutes in solemn tribute to victims of femicide—an act that resonated far beyond South Africa’s borders, drawing support from allies in Eswatini, Kenya, and Namibia, according to BBC Africa.
Placards emblazoned with stark messages—“Am I Next”, “Stop Killing Us”, “Justice for All Survivors”—were hoisted high, reflecting the raw frustration and fear that have become all too familiar for South African women. The protest was not just a cry for justice, but a collective act of mourning and defiance. “We are tired of living in fear, tired of burying our sisters, and tired of being told to stay safe when the danger is in our homes, taxis, and streets,” one protester told reporters, echoing a sentiment shared by many on the ground.
The shutdown followed a string of high-profile GBV cases that have gripped the nation, most recently the brutal murder of 22-year-old Naledi Phangindawo in Mossel Bay. Her death reignited calls for accountability and urgent action. The statistics are staggering: between January and March 2025 alone, 137 women were murdered and more than 1,000 raped, according to official crime data cited by UN Women. South Africa’s femicide rate is five times the global average, a grim reality that has earned the country international scrutiny and condemnation.
Artists, public figures, and celebrities lent their voices to the cause. Poet and performer Lebogang Mashile, who has long championed gender justice, described the protest as “a necessary act of collective mourning and resistance.” Grammy-award winning singer Tyla, along with artists like Moonchild Sanelly, Sho Madjozi, and rapper Yugen Blakrok, urged fans to wear black and turn their social media profiles purple—a color now synonymous with the fight against GBV. The movement surged online under hashtags like #GBVShutdown and #NotOneMore, with over one million people signing a petition demanding action.
Yet, the path to official recognition of the crisis was anything but straightforward. The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) initially rebuffed calls to classify GBV as a national disaster, arguing the issue did not meet legal criteria. But as pressure mounted—fueled by the viral campaign and the sheer scale of the protests—the government shifted course. According to BBC Africa, after “evaluating the persistent and immediate life-safety risks posed by ongoing acts of violence,” the NDMC upgraded GBV and femicide to a national disaster following “a thorough reassessment of previous reports and updated submissions from organs of state as well as civil organisations.” Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa confirmed the reclassification, stating that an official announcement would be made on Friday.
The move was met with jubilation from campaigners. On its Instagram page, Women for Change declared, “We have won. We have written history together [and] we have finally forced the country to confront the truth.” The new disaster status allows government departments to use their budgets to “implement every measure possible” to curb the epidemic, as the cooperative governance ministry told the BBC. Should these efforts fall short, the government could escalate the response by declaring a national state of disaster, unlocking even more urgent interventions.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, addressing the G20 Social Summit in Johannesburg, reminded world leaders that South Africa had declared GBV and femicide a national crisis back in 2019. However, activists argue that legislative progress has not translated into meaningful change. “There are so many beautiful acts and legislations,” Women for Change spokesperson Cameron Kasambala told the BBC, “but we struggle with implementation and transparency. We’ve integrated violence into our social norms.” She added, “Once the government truly reacts to this issue, I feel like we’ll already be able to see a reaction on the ground. Because they set the precedent and the tone for how the country responds.”
For many, the protest was deeply personal. A South African professor who spoke to BBC Africa on condition of anonymity said she traveled from Free State to Johannesburg to join the silent protest, explaining that she often second-guessed simple activities like jogging. Her hope was that the demonstration would help “slow the scourge” of GBV. But not everyone found support at work. Some women reported facing backlash from employers for wanting to participate, with one product designer saying she was strongly advised against joining the shutdown.
For others, the lack of faith in government and legal systems has led to more radical steps. Lynette Oxeley, founder of Girls on Fire, has helped women protect themselves through legal firearm ownership. “It’s not about actually defending yourself with a firearm. I want ladies to change what they think about themselves. Stop being silent,” Oxeley told the BBC. She emphasized that using a gun was a “last resort,” but for many women in her group—most of whom have survived rape, assault, or robbery—self-defense training is a crucial lifeline.
Prudence, a rape survivor who joined Girls on Fire after her attack in 2022, shared her harrowing experience: “I said: ‘No’. I screamed, I cried but he didn’t take no for an answer.” Her pursuit of justice became an “uphill battle” when her rape kit was lost and her case withdrawn. “It isn’t a police problem, it is a nation problem,” she said, highlighting the systemic failures that have left so many women vulnerable and voiceless.
The G20 Women’s Shutdown was more than a moment—it was a movement, a collective demand for safety, dignity, and justice. As world leaders convened in Johannesburg, protesters urged them to reckon with the reality that economic prosperity is inseparable from gender justice. The shutdown may have lasted just one day, but its echoes are likely to reverberate for much longer, both in South Africa and beyond.
As the purple movement continues to grow, and as government agencies are compelled to act, South Africa stands at a crossroads. Whether the new disaster classification will finally bring lasting change remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the nation’s women, and their allies, are no longer willing to be silent.