“Enough Is Enough”: Thousands Join Women’s Shutdown in Pretoria Ahead of G20 Summit
- Johané
- Nov 25
- 4 min read
On Thursday, 21 November, just a day before South Africa opened the first G20 Summit ever held on African soil, more than a thousand people gathered at the Union Buildings in Pretoria in a powerful display of unity. Their message was unmistakable and urgent: South Africa is in the grip of a gender-based violence crisis, and the world must not look away.
The Women’s Shutdown, a nationwide call for women to withdraw their labour, their presence, and their economic participation, materialised into a massive physical demonstration as men, women, and children from every province converged on the country’s political heart. Their march, their silence, and their voices were intended not only for South African leaders but for G20 delegates arriving in the capital. For one day, they forced the world to confront what South Africa has long been living with.
A Nation Standing Together in Grief and Defiance
The atmosphere at the Union Buildings was a mix of mourning, outrage, and determination. Protestors carried placards, wore black, and shared messages demanding an end to Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) - a crisis that continues to claim the lives of South African women at some of the highest rates in the world.
Men were among the most vocal participants, echoing the sentiment that ending GBV cannot be the burden of women alone.
“The women birthed us as men, built societies through that… If we are to harm people that bring life to us, what future do we have?” — Kamohelo Metsing, protestor
Another participant, Kegan Raea, voiced a sentiment shared by many at the march:
“Why do they violate women? Men who violate women are not supposed to live in this society.”
Their words were raw, painful, and reflective of a nation reaching breaking point. This year’s shutdown built on the momentum of previous actions, including the haunting #UnburyTheTruth campaign - symbolised by an oversized Zulu-beaded casket representing the 33.8% rise in femicide. That casket, still intentionally unburied, continues to stand as a memorial to thousands of women and children whose lives have been stolen.
The Shutdown Meets the Global Stage
With world leaders descending upon Johannesburg for the G20 Summit, activists used the timing to spotlight a devastating reality: South Africa cannot speak of economic growth while burying a woman every 2.5 hours.
The Women’s Shutdown’s central demand remains unchanged and urgent: Declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide a National Disaster. Not in another year. Not in another policy cycle. Not in another round of summits. Now. Despite the adoption of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2020) and the passing of the GBVF Council Bill (2024), implementation has been slow and underfunded. The result? Unrelenting violence.
Between April 2023 and March 2024 alone:
5,578 women were murdered
1,656 children were killed
42,569 rape cases were reported
These figures exceed those of many recognised national disasters, yet GBVF has not been treated as one.
A Movement Rooted in Action
Organisers and protestors used the Shutdown to amplify key demands:
1. Immediate Judicial Reform
No bail for suspects in rape, femicide, child sexual assault, or domestic violence cases
Mandatory life sentences without parole for the worst forms of gender-based crimes
Accountability for negligent police, court officials, and social workers
2. Funding for the National Strategic Plan on GBVF (2025–2030)
Activists insist on immediate Treasury allocations to ensure the plan becomes more than a document.
3. Public Access to the Sex Offenders Register
Parents, employers, and communities want transparency to protect women and children.
4. National Education and Awareness Campaigns
Including GBV and consent education in all schools and sustained media campaigns.
A New Kind of Shutdown; One the World Cannot Ignore
In many cities across the country, women stayed away from workplaces, campuses, homes, and digital platforms. They refused to cook, clean, care, teach, manage, or supervise. For one day, they withdrew from the economy and society to demand recognition of the unacknowledged labour that keeps the country functioning.
The 12:00pm 15-minute national standstill (where participants lay flat on the ground to honour the 15 women murdered daily) created a striking moment of silence and solidarity. Black clothing, purple profile pictures, and the hashtag #WomenShutdown dominated streets and social media.
“Without Women, South Africa Stops.”
The Women’s Shutdown is more than a protest, it is a warning. It is a proclamation that women refuse to continue living in a country where safety is a privilege, not a guarantee. It is also a message to the G20 leaders meeting in Johannesburg: Global progress cannot be separated from the lives and safety of women. Economic growth means nothing if women are dying. Climate, trade, development, and diplomacy are empty without freedom from violence.
A Future Women Deserve
The movement reminds South Africa that GBVF is not inevitable. It is preventable. It is stoppable. And it requires immediate national action backed by political will, resources, and accountability. On 21 November, South African women (supported by men, children, and allies) stood at the Union Buildings to demand that the country finally confront the truth buried in thousands of unmarked graves.
They shut down the nation to save its women.
They raised their voices so no woman has to scream unheard.
They mourned so future generations may not have to.
And as the G20 unfolded, the world was forced to recognise a message South Africa has been shouting for years: If women are not safe, South Africa is not free.
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