Purple Protest in South Africa: Women Demand Action Against Gender Violence

Fri Nov 21 2025 14:08:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

South African women's rights groups are mobilizing for a nationwide protest to declare gender-based violence a national disaster.

Women's organizations in South Africa are spearheading a widespread movement advocating for the government to recognize gender-based violence (GBV) as a national disaster. This initiative, supported by numerous celebrities and citizens, is marked by the 'purple movement' and an upcoming protest ahead of the G20 Summit. Activists emphasize the urgency of tackling GBV, calling for concrete government actions while highlighting how pervasive and deadly the issue has become in the country.

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 in honour 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.

The protest, dubbed the G20 Women's Shutdown, has been organized 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.

However, 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.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously acknowledged the issue, declaring GBV a national crisis in 2019, but activists claim little has been done since.

Some women, feeling unprotected, have taken matters into their own hands by seeking gun ownership for self-defense.

The movement is seeing support not only from local activists but also from allies in other countries across Africa. As they gear up for the protests, the demand for government accountability in addressing GBV remains an urgent call echoing throughout the nation.