South African Women Launch 'Purple Protest' to Combat Gender Violence

Fri Dec 05 2025 04:25:33 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A nationwide protest by South African women's rights groups aims to address the alarming rates of gender-based violence in the country. Activists demand that the government declare gender-based violence a national disaster.

In a powerful display of solidarity, South African women are organizing a 'purple protest' to raise awareness about gender-based violence (GBV) as rates in the country soar. This movement, which coincides with the G20 Summit in Johannesburg, includes calls for a nationwide 'shutdown' where participants will abstain from work and participate in a moment of silence for victims. Despite the government's previous declarations of GBV as a crisis, activists argue that more decisive action is needed.

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 (10:00 GMT) 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.

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 organised 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.

On Thursday, President Cyril Ramaphosa told the G20 Social Summit that South Africa had declared gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis in 2019.

Despite previous promises, activists claim that tangible changes are yet to be seen and are advocating for more actionable measures from the government.

The protest has garnered support from several individuals including celebrity Tyla, as part of the purple movement to raise awareness about GBV. Many women are also resorting to self-defensive measures as societal pressures mount.

This protest not only aims to raise awareness but also urges immediate and effective action from leadership towards ending gender-based violence in South Africa.