On the morning of November 21, the sprawling lawns of the Union Buildings in Pretoria—the historic seat of South African administrative power—were transformed into a sea of black and purple. Thousands of women, joined by allies and activists, gathered not just to petition their leaders, but to halt the gears of the nation. The air was thick with the resonant chords of "Senzeni na?"—the iconic anti-apartheid struggle song that asks, "What have we done?"—intermingled with the hopeful "Zizaw’ujik’izinto," a promise that things will change. But at midday, the singing stopped. In a haunting, choreographed display of grief and defiance, thousands of bodies lay flat on the grass in total silence for 15 minutes. This "die-in" was a visceral tribute to the women and girls whose lives are stolen every day in South Africa, a country grappling with one of the highest femicide rates in the world.
This massive mobilization, organized by the nonprofit Women for Change and dubbed the "G20 Women’s Shutdown," was timed with surgical precision. As heads of state and global dignitaries descended upon Johannesburg for the G20 Summit, South African women seized the international spotlight to demand that their safety be prioritized over diplomatic pageantry. The strike was a multifaceted economic and social boycott: women were urged to stay home from work, refrain from all commercial spending, and participate in the nationwide 15-minute silence. On social media, the "purple wave" was inescapable, as supporters across the globe changed their profile pictures to solid purple, signaling that the crisis of gender-based violence (GBV) is a global emergency that requires a global response.
The urgency of the protest was underscored by chilling data. According to the First South African National Gender-Based Violence Study released in 2024, more than one in three women in the country—approximately 35.8 percent—have experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime. Organizations like Women for Change cite even more harrowing daily figures, noting that roughly 15 women are murdered every day. For the protesters in Pretoria, these were not just numbers; they were sisters, daughters, and colleagues.
Among those standing on the Union Building lawns was 28-year-old Lebogang Ntsia, who spoke of the heavy emotional toll the crisis has taken on her generation. "I came here not only because I’ve got people that I know who have been victims of femicide and gender-based violence, but because this is a crisis," Ntsia said. She drew a direct line between the current movement and the historic 1956 Women’s March against apartheid pass laws. "Just as women many years ago protested here and showed up for the changes that we are privileged to experience today, we also need to be the generation that steps up."
The sheer scale of the movement, bolstered by over one million petition signatures, eventually forced the hand of the state. In a landmark announcement, the Government of South Africa declared gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster. This classification is far more than symbolic; it is a legislative and administrative pivot that unlocks emergency resources, streamlines inter-departmental coordination, and places the crisis at the very top of the national budget and policy agenda.
Addressing the G20 Social Summit, President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the gravity of the moment, stating that the government had reached a consensus with all social partners to take "extraordinary and concerted action." He emphasized that the state would use "every means at our disposal" to dismantle the structures of violence. Crucially, the President turned his focus toward the root of the problem, asserting that men and boys must become the primary drivers of cultural change by challenging the patriarchal attitudes that normalize the abuse of women.
Aleta Miller, the UN Women Representative in South Africa, reinforced this sentiment, reminding the public of the human faces behind the statistics. "They are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends—whose lives have been cut short or forever changed," she said. Miller argued that ending this scourge requires an "all-of-society approach" where government policy, corporate responsibility, and community action converge.
The protest also highlighted a significant shift in the G20’s internal dynamics. For the first time, three consecutive G20 presidencies have been held by Global South nations: India in 2023, Brazil in 2024, and South Africa in 2025. This "Troika" has been instrumental in elevating gender equality from a peripheral discussion to a core economic pillar. India’s presidency was a watershed moment, shifting the global narrative from "women’s empowerment" to "women-led development." Brazil built upon this by centering the "care economy"—the often-unpaid domestic labor performed by women—as a vital component of global GDP.
As South Africa takes the mantle for 2025 under the theme "Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability," the stakes have never been higher. The presidency coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a global blueprint for women’s rights. South Africa has used its position to expand the G20 agenda to include health equity, land rights for women, and female participation in agriculture, all while ensuring the Women’s Empowerment Working Group remains focused on the eradication of femicide.
Despite these diplomatic strides, the reality on the ground remains stark. Most G20 nations are nowhere near meeting their targets to reduce the labor force participation gap between men and women. Furthermore, climate change continues to disproportionately affect women in the Global South, yet only 1.7 percent of global climate finance reaches small-scale female producers. Perhaps most damning is the fact that no country in the world, regardless of its wealth or development status, has successfully eradicated violence against women.
Recognizing these systemic failures, G20 ministers gathered in Johannesburg for a Dialogue on Positive Masculinities. This forum brought together an unconventional mix of traditional and religious leaders, grassroots activists, and judicial officials. The consensus was clear: the crisis cannot be solved by focusing on victims alone. Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike told the assembly that "patriarchy is a human crisis, not merely a women’s issue."
Anna Mutavati, UN Women Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, echoed this during the ministerial meetings. "Across countries, physical spaces or online contexts, the dominance of patriarchal masculinities is a common thread underlying the perpetration of gender-based violence," Mutavati noted. She argued that achieving true equality requires men and boys to act as "strategic partners" rather than passive observers. The G20’s recommendations now include strengthening accountability mechanisms across all sectors, from religious institutions to the judiciary, to ensure that perpetrators are held responsible and that social norms are fundamentally rewritten.
As South Africa transitions into the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, the momentum from the November 21 shutdown shows no signs of waning. The country has come a long way since the 2018 "Total Shutdown" march, which saw women occupy the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Since then, the government has launched a National Strategic Plan on GBVF, backed by a massive R21 billion (approximately $1.2 billion) investment. New legislative milestones, such as the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill signed into law in May 2024, provide a formal framework for this fight.
However, the "G20 Women’s Shutdown" served as a potent reminder that legislation on paper does not always equal safety on the streets. The protesters in Pretoria made it clear that they are no longer interested in incremental progress or hollow promises. By bringing the nation’s capital to a standstill during a major international summit, they proved that the collective power of women is the most formidable force in the country.
The 15 minutes of silence at the Union Buildings may have ended, but the message it sent continues to reverberate through the halls of power. As a new generation of activists like Lebogang Ntsia takes the lead, the demand for "extraordinary measures" is becoming a mandate that the government can no longer ignore. In the eyes of the protesters, the G20 Women’s Shutdown was not just a one-day event; it was the definitive turning point in a long, painful journey toward a South Africa where being a woman is no longer a death sentence.
