Thousands of women took to the streets across South Africa on Friday, joining forces to demand an end to gender-based violence as protests coincided with the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The demonstration, known as the 'G20 Women's Shutdown', was a culmination of a month-long campaign by NGO Women For Change, which successfully lobbied for the country to declare gender-based violence a national disaster.
The silent 15-minute lie-down protest brought attention to the alarming rate at which women are being killed in South Africa, with UN Women estimating that it is five times higher than the global average. The movement also highlighted the devastating impact of this violence on families and communities.
Demonstrators wore black as a symbol of mourning and resistance, while many took to social media using purple, often associated with women's rights, to raise awareness about the issue. Even Grammy-award winning singer Tyla got involved by changing her profile picture to purple.
In response to the mounting pressure, the head of South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre announced that it would classify gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster. The decision was welcomed by the government and civil society organizations, which hailed it as a major victory for women's rights.
The announcement comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa described gender-based violence as a 'crisis' during a G20 sideline summit for civil society on Thursday. Now that the crisis has been declared, authorities are expected to dedicate more resources and support to combat this heinous issue.
Women For Change expressed jubilation over the declaration, saying they had "won" in their fight for recognition of gender-based violence as a national disaster. They announced plans to convene an emergency meeting next week to discuss a detailed action plan and timeline to tackle this crisis.
The silent 15-minute lie-down protest brought attention to the alarming rate at which women are being killed in South Africa, with UN Women estimating that it is five times higher than the global average. The movement also highlighted the devastating impact of this violence on families and communities.
Demonstrators wore black as a symbol of mourning and resistance, while many took to social media using purple, often associated with women's rights, to raise awareness about the issue. Even Grammy-award winning singer Tyla got involved by changing her profile picture to purple.
In response to the mounting pressure, the head of South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre announced that it would classify gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster. The decision was welcomed by the government and civil society organizations, which hailed it as a major victory for women's rights.
The announcement comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa described gender-based violence as a 'crisis' during a G20 sideline summit for civil society on Thursday. Now that the crisis has been declared, authorities are expected to dedicate more resources and support to combat this heinous issue.
Women For Change expressed jubilation over the declaration, saying they had "won" in their fight for recognition of gender-based violence as a national disaster. They announced plans to convene an emergency meeting next week to discuss a detailed action plan and timeline to tackle this crisis.
... South Africa finally recognizes the severity of gender-based violence, and it's about time 
. Five times higher than the global average is just staggering - we need to take action ASAP 
. The fact that NGOs like Women For Change were able to lobby for this declaration is a testament to their dedication and perseverance 
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... it's a color we should be seeing more of on the streets. It's great that Tyla got involved too - she's using her platform to make a difference 
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. We need to keep the momentum going and continue to push for real change 
. Here's to a safer future for all South African women! 
. The declaration by the National Disaster Management Centre, in response to mounting public pressure, marks a crucial step towards acknowledging the severity of this issue and mobilizing resources to combat it 
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. It's crazy how much impact one month of campaigning can have, especially when the whole country comes together like that 
. The purple symbol is such a nice touch, too - it's a powerful reminder of the importance of equality and justice 
. Fingers crossed that the government will follow through on their promises and actually make some real progress in addressing this crisis 
5 times more than global average is just crazy. I think it's awesome that Women For Change got the gov't to declare it a national disaster tho 
... I mean, the G20 summit just happens to coincide with this massive protest, right? It's like they're tryin' to distract us from somethin'. But for real, it's a good thing that women are gettin' their voices heard 
. The fact that they were able to lobby for this national disaster declaration is pretty impressive. And I'm glad that Tyla got involved, she's a talented artist and all... but what's really goin' on behind the scenes? Is there some kinda deal between the government and these NGOs? 
We just gotta keep an eye on it, ya know?
I'm just so shocked that it's taken this long for South Africa to officially declare gender-based violence a national disaster 
And now they're actually doing something about it? I mean, yay 
. It's not just about the women who have been affected, but also their families and communities - we can't forget that 
. Can they at least make it a bit more comfortable for people to join in? Like, is there a way to raise awareness without having to sit around for ages? 
I don't know, maybe I'm just not getting the message or something 
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. I love that the 'G20 Women's Shutdown' brought so much attention to this issue, it really needs to be on our radar. And Tyla getting involved with a purple profile picture is like, awesome! 
The fact that the government finally declared gender-based violence a national disaster is a major win for women's rights 
. It's just not right that women are getting killed at such a high rate in South Africa, it's like 5 times more than the rest of the world 
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. More resources and support are needed to help those affected by this heinous issue 
. It's not just about the women who have been killed or hurt, but also their families and communities 
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. This is a huge victory for women's rights and I'm all for it 
So I think its pretty cool that these women are taking action to bring attention to the huge problem of gender-based violence in South Africa 
. The fact that the National Disaster Management Centre has finally classified it as a national disaster is a major win for women's rights 
. Its also great to see Grammy-awarded singers like Tyla getting involved in the movement, using her platform to amplify the message 
) and changed her profile picture to purple – it’s a small thing but it can go a long way in raising awareness about an issue like this. The fact that the authorities are now expected to dedicate more resources to combat this issue is a major victory for women's rights, imo 
! It's amazing how one NGO can make such a huge difference with their campaign. I mean, who knew lobbying for a national disaster designation could be so empowering? 
I mean, who knew South Africa was about to make some major waves globally? 
- it's all about spreading awareness! 
The fact that they lobbied for gender-based violence to be declared a national disaster is pure genius 
. This is just the beginning, folks! 
! It's not just about the protests, it's about the systemic change we need to see in our society. We can't just be aware of the problem, we have to take action against it. The fact that they managed to get the government on board and declare gender-based violence a national disaster is a major win 
! The black symbol of mourning is so powerful and I'm glad more people are using purple to show support for women's rights 
️!
. The fact that Women For Change put up such a strong campaign and managed to get this declared a national disaster is honestly inspiring 
. This crisis can't be solved overnight, but at least it's officially being acknowledged 
. We need to keep pushing for real change, not just symbolic gestures