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South Africa’s Purple Protest: Women Stage Nationwide Shutdown Over Gender-Based Violence Crisis

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A powerful wave of anger and unity is surging through South Africa as women’s rights organizations gear up for a country-wide shutdown to confront the nation’s unrelenting epidemic of gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. Dubbed the “Purple Protest” or “G20 Women’s Shutdown,” the movement, marked by the color purple, has exploded from a viral online campaign into one of the biggest coordinated demonstrations in years.

The plan is simple yet bold: on Friday, women are urged to abstain from work, universities, and schools and instead gather in silent, purple-clad protests, timed deliberately to coincide with the arrival of world leaders in Johannesburg for the G20 Summit. Organizers want the international spotlight squarely on a crisis they say the government has chronically failed to tackle.

South Africa has one of the world’s highest rates of violence against women. UN Women reports the country’s femicide rate is almost five times the global average. In the first three months of this year alone, official police figures recorded 137 women murdered and over 1,000 rapes, numbers activists insist are grossly underreported.

Leading the charge is Women for Change, a major advocacy organization that has rallied millions via social media. Purple profile pictures, purple hearts, and purple clothing have become the visible symbols of solidarity, adopted by ordinary citizens, celebrities, and supporters overseas.

“We have normalized violence against women; it’s embedded in our culture,” said Cameron Kasambala, spokesperson for Women for Change. “We have excellent laws on paper, but almost zero effective implementation. We’re tired of empty promises; we demand action.”

Activists want gender-based violence and femicide officially declared a national disaster, which would unlock emergency funding, coordinated multi-agency responses, and stronger accountability measures. The National Disaster Management Centre has refused, claiming GBV does not meet the legal criteria, further inflaming public fury.

In workplaces, tensions are rising. Some women say employers have threatened or discouraged them from participating; others are taking leave anyway, willing to risk their jobs for the cause.

For countless South Africans, the protest is both political and deeply personal. Survivors speak of lost rape kits, vanished evidence, and endless court delays that deny them justice. One woman, Prudence, saw her case collapse after critical DNA evidence disappeared. Self-defense initiatives like Girls on Fire, which trains women to use firearms legally for protection, are gaining traction amid widespread distrust in the justice system.

As the shutdown day approaches, purple has transformed from a color of mourning into a banner of collective grief, defiance, and unyielding hope. Whether the protest will finally force meaningful policy change is uncertain, but South African women have made one thing unmistakable: they will no longer accept silence or inaction.

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