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. Image (SABC News Facebook): Thousands of protestors lie down for 15 minutes The Women’s Shutdown, a nationwide call for wome

On Friday, 21 November 2025 , South Africa will witness an act of collective resistance unlike anything in its history. Women across the country will shut down workplaces, campuses, households, and the national economy to expose a devastating truth: Until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress. Image: Women for Change This nationwide action, known as the Women’s Shutdown , calls on all women to step away from society’s