South Africa has officially declared gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide a national disaster following widespread protests and an online campaign highlighting the persistent threats faced by women across the country.
The move comes after activists urged women to “withdraw from the economy for one day” and lie down for 15 minutes at noon local time on Friday, symbolically remembering the 15 women murdered daily in South Africa. Protests took place in 15 locations nationwide, including Cape Town, Durban, and Johannesburg, with participants dressed in black to signify “mourning and resistance.”
The campaign, led by advocacy group Women for Change, gained momentum online, with over a million people signing petitions and many supporters, including celebrities like Grammy-award winner Tyla, changing their social media profile pictures to purple—a color associated with GBV awareness. Some participants also shared images of purple hearts, nail polish, and clothing in what has become known as the “purple movement.”
The National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC) announced the classification of GBV and femicide as a disaster after “a thorough reassessment of previous reports and updated submissions from state bodies and civil organisations,” said Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa. The decision reverses the agency’s earlier stance that such a declaration did not meet legal requirements.
South Africa has some of the world’s highest rates of violence against women, with killings of women occurring at five times the global average, according to UN Women. Activists have long criticized the government for weak implementation of laws designed to curb GBV, with many noting that legislation has often failed to translate into meaningful change on the ground.
Women like Lynette Oxeley, founder of the self-defence group Girls on Fire, have taken matters into their own hands, teaching women how to legally use firearms for protection. Many in the group are survivors of rape, assault, or robbery. Oxeley emphasized that firearms are a last resort, saying, “It’s not about actually defending yourself with a gun. I want women to change how they think about themselves. Stop being silent. Even if you do not win the fight, at least you are fighting back.”
Participants in Friday’s “lie-down” protest included women who traveled from other provinces to join the demonstration. Some, however, faced pushback from employers for taking part. Supporters in neighboring countries, including Eswatini, Kenya, and Namibia, also expressed solidarity with the movement.
While President Cyril Ramaphosa had declared GBV and femicide a national crisis in 2019, activists say little has changed and are calling for stronger, more effective government action to curb the ongoing violence against women.
