When world leaders gather in Johannesburg on 21 November 2025 for the G20 Summit, South Africa will make history as the first African country to host the prestigious global economic forum. The summit is expected to draw heads of state, international investors, and policy influencers under one roof to discuss issues of economic growth, trade, and sustainability.
But outside the walls of the conference centre, another historic movement is taking shape. While the government celebrates this milestone, one of South Africa’s most prominent advocacy groups, Women For Change, has called for a National Shutdown, a bold act of protest against the country’s epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV).
In a post that quickly went viral, Women For Change urged South Africans, especially women and members of the LGBTQI+ community, to “refrain from all paid and unpaid work” on 21 November.
“We call on all women and members of the LGBTQI+ community across South Africa to refrain from all paid and unpaid work in workplaces, universities, homes, and communities to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence,” the organisation wrote. “Because until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress.”
The group is demanding that Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) be declared a National Disaster, a plea that has struck a deep chord across the nation.
A Nation Mobilised
The movement’s call to action is clear:
- Don’t work. No paid or unpaid labour for one day.
- Don’t spend money. Withdraw from the economy to demonstrate the impact of women’s absence.
- Join the 15-Minute Standstill at 12 p.m., by lying down in public spaces for 15 minutes, symbolising the 15 women murdered each day in South Africa.
- Wear black in mourning and resistance.
- Turn your profile picture purple to make the shutdown visible online.
The campaign’s hashtags, #WomenShutdown and #NationalShutdown, have trended for days, flooding timelines and sparking conversations across every platform.
The Power of Purple
The visual centrepiece of the movement, a sea of purple profile pictures, has become impossible to ignore. From celebrities and musicians to corporates and landmarks, the colour purple has turned into a symbol of collective defiance.
Even Mall of Africa, one of Johannesburg’s most recognisable landmarks, illuminated its interior in shades of purple in solidarity. High-profile supporters include Bonang Matheba, Nomzamo Mbatha, and global pop star Tyla, each amplifying the message to millions of followers worldwide.
Musician J’Something, frontman of MiCasa, shared a heartfelt video after noticing his wife, Cordelia “Coco” da Fonseca, had turned her profile purple.
“Women’s safety in this country is something we can’t keep ignoring,” he said. “It needs to be addressed by you and me, but more importantly, by the leaders of this country.” He added, “It’s not just about purple pictures. It’s about recognising that every single day in South Africa, women are being attacked, abused, and killed. Nine thousand rapes were reported in just the last three months.”
A Crisis hidden in plain sight
According to the South African Police Service (SAPS), the country records one of the highest rates of gender-based violence in the world. On average:
- A woman is murdered every 2.5 hours, often by someone she knows.
- Over 53,000 sexual offences were reported in 2025 alone.
- Experts warn that for every reported case, several go unreported due to stigma, fear, and systemic failure.
Despite numerous policy frameworks, including the National Strategic Plan on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (NSP-GBVF) activists argue that implementation remains painfully slow, underfunded, and often performative.
From petition to policy pressure
The Women For Change petition, demanding that GBV be declared a National Disaster, is expected to surpass one million signatures, a number expected to rise before the G20 begins.
Declaring GBV a national disaster would legally compel the government to mobilise emergency funding, resources, and interdepartmental coordination, similar to responses seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. For many South Africans, this declaration would signal more than symbolic recognition, it would mean political will in action.
@jessie.song No woman is free until every woman is free 💜 #womenforchange ♬ original sound - Jessie
Two South Africas on one day
On 21 November, the contrast will be stark. Inside the summit halls, global leaders will discuss economic growth and sustainability. Outside, thousands will lie still, symbolically halting the nation to honour the lives lost to gendered violence.
The day may go down in history as the moment South Africa showed the world that economic progress means little without human safety and dignity. “We are not protesting against growth,” said a Women For Change spokesperson. “We are demanding that our lives be counted in that growth.”
The question that remains
As South Africa prepares to host the world, one question will echo louder than the speeches and policy papers, Can a nation truly rise when half its population lives in fear?
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