A nationwide shutdown is set to take place on Friday, November 21, as South African women and members of the LGBTQI+ community are urged to withdraw from all economic and social activity in protest against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.
The call to action comes from the activist group Women For Change, which says the demonstration aims to expose the social and economic impact of women’s absence from workplaces, homes, and universities just a day before the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
“We call on all women and members of the LGBTQI+ community across South Africa to refrain from all paid and unpaid work, and to spend no money for the entire day, to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence,” the organisation said.
The protest seeks to draw attention to South Africa’s persistent scourge of violence against women, with statistics showing that a woman is killed every 2.5 hours.
As part of the demonstration, participants are being encouraged to join a symbolic 15-minute standstill at midday, lying down to honour the 15 women reportedly murdered each day. Organisers have also called on demonstrators to wear black as a symbol of mourning and resistance, and to change their social media profile pictures to purple to show online solidarity.
“Don’t work. Don’t spend. Withdraw from the economy for one day. Join the 15-minute standstill at 12pm to honour the 15 women murdered daily and bring South Africa to a complete halt,” Women For Change reiterated.
Meanwhile, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has assured the public that the province is fully prepared to host the upcoming G20 Summit. Lesufi said enhanced security measures have been implemented to ensure a safe environment for world leaders and delegates.
“We are aware of the areas of concern and have conducted several dry runs ahead of the summit. We have a firm grasp of the situation and no doubt about our readiness,” he said, adding that the province has invested in state-of-the-art security systems to guarantee the safety of all international guests.