South Africa has officially classified gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide as a national disaster following large-scale protests on the eve of the G20 summit in Johannesburg. The decision comes after sustained pressure from civil society groups, particularly the NGO Women for Change, which organised a nationwide day of shutdowns and demonstrations demanding stronger government action.
On Friday, hundreds of women clad in black staged a 15-minute “lie-down” protest across 15 South African cities — including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pretoria, and Durban — symbolising the tragic estimate that around 15 women lose their lives each day to violence. The silent protest was intended as both mourning and resistance.
The campaign, called the “G20 Women’s Shutdown,” urged women and LGBTQ+ communities to abstain from all paid and unpaid work and to refrain from spending money for a full day as an act of economic protest, highlighting how deeply GBV affects society. As part of the month-long build-up to the shutdown, Women for Change ran a petition that drew over a million signatures. The movement also gained symbolic backing online, with many people — including celebrities — changing their social media profiles to purple in solidarity.
Responding to this pressure, Dr Bongani Elias Sithole, head of the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), announced that GBV meets the threshold for a national disaster under South Africa’s Disaster Management Act. The centre’s decision followed a reassessment of existing data on the “persistent and immediate life-safety risks” posed by ongoing violence.
Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa, welcomed the declaration, saying it will allow authorities to mobilise more resources and reinforce existing structures to tackle GBV. While the designation raises the issue’s political and social priority, it does not invoke emergency powers — the focus is on strengthening and resourcing existing response mechanisms.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking at a G20 civil society summit, called GBV a “crisis” and acknowledged women’s urgent calls for protection, support, and accountability. Responding to the announcement, Women for Change declared the moment a historic victory, saying on Instagram that “we have written history together” and promising to convene a follow-up meeting soon to chart out a detailed action plan.
Analysts and campaigners argue that this recognition is long overdue. South Africa’s femicide rate is among the world’s highest, estimated to be around five times the global average, according to UN Women. While the government has some legal frameworks in place — such as Thuthuzela care centres for survivors and sexual offences courts — civil society says the momentum must now rapidly shift to implementation, coordination, and accountability.
By classifying GBV as a national disaster, the government signals that it sees the crisis not merely as a social issue but as a systemic threat demanding a comprehensive, multi-sectoral response. Authorities are now obligated to coordinate across policing, justice, health, education, economic development, and traditional leadership to address prevention, crisis support, and long-term recovery.
Though there is cautious optimism, activists stress that the real test will lie in follow-through. The government must now demonstrate that it can translate the disaster classification into concrete action — not just further promises — to truly curb the scourge of gender-based violence.
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