A planned national shutdown on Friday, the 21st of November, dubbed the G20 Women’s Shutdown, aims to draw attention to the ongoing crisis of rape and murder of women in South Africa.
Happening just days before global leaders descend on Johannesburg for the G20 Summit, which is held on the African continent for the very first time, women in South Africa and members of the LGBTQI+ community are urging the government to take the matter seriously.
Organised by non-profit activist group Women For Change (WFC), it is aimed at combating gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in the country. WFC is calling for a 15-minute standstill on the day, urging citizens to wear black, change their social media profile pictures to purple, and use the hashtag #WomenShutdown.
On their website, Women for Change have noted that: “The rate of femicide in South Africa is 6x higher than the global average, with at least 15 women being murdered every day.”
G20 Women’s Shutdown on 21 November: South Africa’s Digital Protest for Change
—https://t.co/tnU0e2NAYH#G20Summit #G20WomensShutdown #WomenForChange #GBVNationalDisaster #EndGBVF #FemicideCrisisSA #DigitalActivism #SAProtests #LGBTQICommunity #SocialJusticeSA #G20
— Digital Street (@DigitalStreetZA) November 17, 2025
Online, the movement has taken on a visual identity, with South African creators and regular citizens changing their social media profile pictures to purple under the #WomenForChange campaign. The action has gained massive traction, amplifying the public outrage over rising violence against women and children.
The timing of the shutdown is strategic, as it is intended to force the government to take note and provide answers on how to solve the matter. The shutdown is transformative, paving the way for women to speak up against the injustice of GBV in the country.
Also see: South African women urged to get paid leave for National GBV Shutdown
