In a unified and drastic effort to highlight and combat South Africa’s rampant gender-based violence (GBV) epidemic, women across the Southern African country will participate in a national shutdown on November 21, 2025. 

This action, which involves ceasing all forms of work, both paid and unpaid, is spearheaded by Women for Change, a non-profit organisation advocating for the constitutional rights of South African women and children. The organisation has revealed that the goal of the shutdown is to force a national reckoning with the crisis and demand concrete, effective governmental action and societal transformation to end the violence. 

Set to take place just before the prestigious G20 Summit, the protest precedes a historic event: South Africa’s first time hosting the global economic forum. The summit will bring together heads of state, international investors, and policy influencers to discuss key topics like economic growth, trade, and sustainability. 

As such, the forthcoming protest has been tagged the “G20 Women’s Shutdown,” signalling not just a protest against prevailing economic inequalities, but a direct, targeted call for policymakers gathered at the G20 to prioritise gender equality and address the systemic issues affecting women’s economic participation and safety in the host country.

The organisation’s ongoing protest, visually centred on the colour purple, has for months highlighted the country’s alarming femicide rates. The South African Police Service (SAPS) reports that in the country, a woman is murdered every 2.5 hours, and the perpetrator is frequently someone known to the victim. 

Consequently, the colour has evolved into a symbol of united resistance, embraced by figures ranging from celebrities to major corporations and even prominent landmarks in South Africa. Women for Change urges all women and members of the LGBTQI+ community in South Africa to participate in the protest. Those outside the country can contribute to online visibility by changing their profile picture to purple and using the hashtag #WomenShutdown to spread awareness.