South Africa has officially classified gender-based violence (GBV) as a national disaster, following a massive online movement that led to coordinated nationwide protests on Friday.
Women across the country were encouraged to “withdraw from the economy” for a day and lie down for 15 minutes at midday in memory of the 15 women killed daily in South Africa — one of the highest femicide rates in the world.
The government had previously rejected calls to categorise GBV as a disaster but reversed its position after reassessing updated reports from state institutions and civil society. Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa announced that the National Disaster Management Centre had re-evaluated the threat and approved the classification.
The move comes amid shocking statistics highlighted by UN Women, showing that South African women are killed at five times the global average.
Friday’s demonstrations — known as the G20 Women’s Shutdown — took place at 15 locations in major cities such as Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Support also poured in from Eswatini, Kenya, and Namibia. Protesters wore black to symbolize both mourning and resistance, while the online campaign encouraged supporters to switch their profile pictures to purple, the colour associated with GBV awareness.
Organisers Women for Change, who spearheaded the campaign and a petition signed by over one million people, celebrated the announcement, telling followers that their persistence forced the nation to confront a harsh reality.
President Cyril Ramaphosa reminded the G20 Social Summit that GBV had already been declared a national crisis in 2019 — but activists said progress since then has been slow, with many laws and policies poorly implemented.
The new disaster categorisation allows government departments to redirect their budgets immediately toward interventions aimed at reducing violence. If these efforts do not achieve meaningful change, the government may escalate the issue further by declaring a national state of disaster.
Many survivors say they joined the protest out of fear and frustration. One professor said she constantly reevaluates ordinary activities like jogging due to safety concerns. Others faced employer pushback for wanting to participate.
Some women have taken self-protection into their own hands. Girls on Fire, an organisation founded by Lynette Oxeley, trains women in responsible gun ownership — legal in South Africa for those with valid licences. Most of the women in her group have experienced assault, robbery, or sexual violence.
Prudence, a survivor who was raped in 2022, said her case collapsed after her rape kit DNA sample went missing. For her, the crisis is “not just a police problem but a national problem”.
Despite promoting self-defense training, Oxeley emphasises that firearms are a last resort, adding that the movement’s deeper purpose is helping women rediscover their courage:
“Even if you don’t win the fight… at least you fight back.”