On 21 November 2025, South Africa will fall silent. Not because we’ve given up – but because we refuse to keep going whilst women are dying.
Women for Change SA is calling for a nationwide shutdown, and it’s about bloody time we talk about why. If you’re reading this wondering what GBV is, why this shutdown matters, or how you can support South African women during this critical moment, you’re in the right place.
What Is GBV and Why Does It Matter to South African Women?
Gender-based violence (GBV) isn’t just a statistic on a government report. For South African women, it’s the reality of checking over your shoulder when you walk to your car. It’s the friend who “fell down the stairs” again. It’s the colleague who suddenly stops coming to work.
Here’s what GBV actually means in South Africa:
In our country, a woman is murdered every 2.5 hours. That’s not a typo. Whilst you’re reading this blog post, having your morning coffee, or scrolling through social media, another South African woman becomes a statistic.
Gender-based violence includes physical abuse, sexual assault, emotional abuse, economic abuse, and femicide (the killing of women because they are women). It affects women across all races, classes, and communities. No one is immune.
Women for Change reports that 15 women are murdered every single day in South Africa eNCA. That’s 15 families shattered. 15 futures stolen. 15 women who deserved better from our country.
The G20 Women’s Shutdown: What’s Happening on 21 November?
Women for Change SA has organised what they’re calling the G20 Women’s Shutdown – a powerful statement timed strategically before South Africa hosts the G20 Summit on 22-23 November in Johannesburg.
The message is crystal clear: “Until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress.” eNCA
How Can You Participate in the Shutdown?
Women for Change is encouraging women and LGBTQI+ community members to take the following actions on 21 November: EWN
Don’t work. No paid or unpaid labour. That means no office work, no housework, no childcare, no emotional labour. Nothing.
Don’t spend money. Withdraw completely from the economy for one day to demonstrate the economic power women hold.
Wear black. Stand in mourning and resistance for every woman we’ve lost to gender-based violence.
Join the 15-Minute Standstill. At 12pm, women are encouraged to lie down for 15 minutes to honour the 15 women murdered every day in South Africa eNCA.
Change your profile picture to purple. Make this shutdown visible online and impossible to ignore.
Why Purple? Understanding the Symbolism Behind the Movement
You’ve probably noticed purple lighting up buildings across South Africa – from the Mall of Africa to Rhodes University, from the Nelson Mandela Bridge to corporate offices. Purple is the international colour of GBV awareness, representing justice, dignity, and remembrance for survivors and victims.
This purple wave has gone viral across social media, with many comparing it to South Africa’s own #MeToo moment News24.
The Demand: Declaring GBV a National Disaster
Women for Change isn’t just asking for awareness – they’re demanding action. Their petition, which has gathered more than 1,000,000 signatures, calls for GBVF to be declared a national disaster News24, the same level of urgency our government applied to COVID-19.
What would declaring GBV a national disaster actually do?
It would unlock emergency funding, create specialised task forces, and mandate rapid-response protocols in policing and courts. It would signal that our government finally recognises what South African women have known all along: we are living in a crisis.
However, the National Disaster Management Centre has rejected this petition, claiming existing frameworks are sufficient. Tell that to the families burying their daughters, sisters, and mothers.
The Mental Health Impact of Living with GBV
As mental health professionals at TherapyNow, we see the psychological toll of gender-based violence every single day. Living in a country with such high rates of GBV creates what we call “ambient trauma” – a constant state of hypervigilance and fear that affects every South African woman’s mental health.
The mental health consequences of GBV include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex trauma
- Depression and anxiety disorders
- Substance abuse as a coping mechanism
- Suicidal ideation and self-harm
- Difficulty trusting others or forming healthy relationships
- Chronic stress and related physical health problems
Even women who haven’t directly experienced violence carry the psychological burden of knowing they could be next. That’s what it means to be a woman in South Africa today.
How Men Can Support the 21 November Shutdown
Whilst the core action is led by women and LGBTQI+ people, men can and should participate as allies. Men can support women in taking the day off, share and amplify the message, and use their voice to challenge other men TimesLIVE.
Here’s how male allies can help:
- Cover for female colleagues who participate in the shutdown
- Share information about the shutdown on social media
- Have difficult conversations with other men about ending GBV
- Donate to organisations fighting gender-based violence
- Educate yourself about consent, healthy masculinity, and violence prevention
- Call out misogyny, rape jokes, and casual sexism when you see it
Supporting Mental Health During 16 Days of Activism
The 21 November shutdown kicks off the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children (25 November – 10 December). This period can be particularly triggering for survivors of gender-based violence.
If you or someone you know needs support:
TherapyNow provides 24/7 trauma-informed counselling in all 11 South African languages via WhatsApp, SMS, and mobile app. Our counsellors understand the unique challenges facing South African women and offer confidential, judgement-free support.
Whether you’re dealing with your own experiences of GBV, supporting a friend, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the constant news coverage, professional mental health support can help.
What Happens After 21 November?
One day of shutdown won’t solve South Africa’s GBV crisis. But it will show the world – and our own government – that South African women refuse to be silent whilst we’re being killed.
The timing before the G20 Summit is strategic. The campaign aims to force international scrutiny on South Africa, pressuring leaders to prioritise women’s safety News24 alongside discussions of economic growth and development.
Real change requires:
- Adequate funding for GBV prevention and survivor support services
- Swift and effective prosecution of perpetrators
- Comprehensive education about consent and healthy relationships
- Economic empowerment for women to leave abusive situations
- Mental health services that understand trauma and cultural context
- A fundamental shift in how our society views and treats women
Join the Movement: Every Voice Matters
You don’t have to be in Johannesburg or at a public meeting point to participate. You can lie down wherever you are – at home, at the office, in your garden, at a school field, at the mall, or in a park Women For Change. Every location counts. Every voice matters.
If you can’t take the full day off work, you can still wear black, join the 15-minute standstill, and change your profile picture to purple. Small actions create a big wave of change.
The Bottom Line
On 21 November 2025, South Africa has a choice: continue with business as usual whilst women die, or stand together and demand better.
Gender-based violence isn’t a women’s issue – it’s a South African issue. It’s a human rights crisis that affects all of us, whether directly or through the trauma of living in a society where women aren’t safe.
Women for Change SA is giving us all the opportunity to be part of the solution. The question is: will you take it?
Learn more about the G20 Women’s Shutdown at womenforchange.co.za or follow #WomenShutdown on social media.
If you need mental health support during this time, TherapyNow is available 24/7. Your mental health matters, and you don’t have to face this alone.
