South African women call for purple at G20 to protest gender-based violence

South African women’s rights groups have called for nationwide protests to demand that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a national disaster as attacks on women become commonplace in the country.

The campaign began as a viral social media campaign that will eventually lead to a nationwide “lockdown” ahead of Friday’s G20 summit in Johannesburg.

Celebrities, citizens and countries have shown their solidarity by changing their social media profile pictures to purple – a color often associated with GBV awareness.

South Africa has one of the highest levels of gender-based violence in the world, with female homicide rates five times the global average, according to UN Women.

According to South African crime statistics, 137 women were murdered and more than 1,000 raped between January and March this year.

WARNING: This report contains descriptions of sexual assault

On Friday, women were urged not to go to work or school, to “take an economic withdrawal for a day” and to lie down for 15 minutes at 12:00 local time (10:00 GMT) to commemorate the country’s murdered women.

‘Lie Down’ events are held in 15 locations across South Africa, including major cities such as Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

Allies Swaziland, Kenya and Namibia also expressed support for the protests and said they would join them.

They were also urged to wear black as a sign of “mourning and resistance.”

The protest, dubbed the “G20 Women’s Shutdown,” was organized by Women for Change, which is also spearheading the online movement.

There is also an online petition signed by more than a million people calling on the government to take a tougher stance on the scourge.

The National Disaster Management Center (NDMC) has rejected calls to declare GBV a national disaster, saying it does not meet legal requirements.

President Cyril Ramaphosa told the G20 Social Summit on Thursday In 2019, South Africa “declared gender-based violence and femicide a national crisis”.

However, activists say little has changed and they want the government to take more action.

Cameron Kasambara, spokesperson for Women for Change, lamented that “so many wonderful bills and legislation” had been enacted over the years to address the issue, but then there was a “lack of implementation and transparency” from the government.

“We have integrated violence into…our culture and social norms,” ​​she told the BBC.

“Once the government actually responds to this issue, I feel like we’ve been able to see the response on the ground. Because they set the precedent and the tone for how the country responds,” she said.

Grammy Award-winning singer Tyra is one of thousands of celebrities and citizens who have rallied in support of the call and made changes to their social media profiles. Some people went further and posted photos of Purple Hearts, nail polish and even clothing, which became known as the “Purple Movement.”

A South African professor, who requested anonymity, told the BBC she had taken leave so she could travel from the Free State province to Johannesburg to take part in the silent protest.

This is important to her because she says she has second thoughts about simple things like jogging and hopes the protests will “slow down” the scourge of gender-based violence.

However, some women have faced backlash from their employers for wanting to join the protests. One product designer who works on large collaborative projects said they were strongly advised not to participate.

Some women who feel the government is not doing enough have taken matters into their own hands.

Lynette Oxeley founded Girls on Fire to help women protect themselves through gun ownership. In South Africa, it is legal to own a firearm for self-defence if a person holds a valid license.

Most of the women in her group had been raped, assaulted, robbed or experienced some level of violence.

Prudence joined the group after being raped in 2022.

“I said: ‘No’. I screamed and cried, but he didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” she told the BBC.

Trying to get justice was an “uphill battle” and her case was withdrawn because her rape kit – DNA extracted after the crime – was missing.

She said this was not a “police issue, it was a state issue.”

Although the women were trained to shoot firearms, Ms Oxley said the use of firearms was a “last resort”.

“It’s not about actually using a gun to protect yourself. I want women to change the way they think about themselves. Stop being silent,” she said.

“Even if you don’t win the battle, at least you’re fighting back.”