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 color 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 honor 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 organized by Women for Change, which has also been spearheading the online campaign.

However, the National Disaster Management Centre has rejected calls to declare GBV a national disaster, stating it doesn't align with legal prerequisites. Activists are advocating for more direct action from the government, citing a lack of effective measures despite previous declarations of GBV as a national crisis.

Many citizens have also taken personal measures to combat GBV, including the formation of communities like Girls on Fire, aimed at empowering women through self-defense training and firearm ownership.

As the protests approach, the focus on gender violence intensifies:

  • Activists express dissatisfaction with government efforts to combat GBV.
  • Women's organizations collaborate across several African nations to bolster the movement.
  • The initiative garners significant attention from various sectors, including celebrities and everyday citizens.