Locals stood in unity with the rest of the country on Friday (21 November) in support of the national G20 Women’s Shutdown.
The shutdown was organised by Women For Change (WFC), an organisation combating gender-based violence (GBV), to pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) a national disaster. On Thursday 20 November, on the eve of the two-day G20 summit, Ramaphosa declared the GBV as a “national crisis.”
On Friday, women, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex and others (LGBTQIA+) community, including men, took a moment to refrain from all work to demonstrate the economic and social impact of their absence.
Research by the South African Medical Research Council, which was presented to parliament’s portfolio committee on social development, last year is a testament of the magnitude of the problem that the country face.
According to their research, South Africa has recorded an estimated 10 972 femicide cases over the past 20 years; three women are killed every day by an intimate partner; and one in four women reports experiencing physical or sexual abuse.
“In April 2025, Women For Change handed over a national petition to the South African government, calling for GBVF to be declared a national disaster. To date, there have been no concrete answers, no accountability, and no meaningful action,” WFC explained in a statement. “That petition has since grown to over 200 000 signatures, representing a collective outcry from South Africans who have had enough of the government’s failure to protect women and members of the LGBTQI+ community from violence, rape, and murder.”
Teachers and learners of Noorder Paarl High School joined the shutdown. They stood in front of the school and at a nearby traffic light.
“Awareness is important, so that the perception of ‘it’s between a husband and his wife, I can’t interfere’ is broken. So people can identify a situation as GBV and offer help,” says Lauren Solomons, a youth worker at the school. “It is important to send a public message that it is unacceptable and to break the stigma of women who feel ashamed, so that they can realise that they are not alone.”
Marvin Arendse, a teacher at Noorder Paarl, said: “I believe that gender-based violence needs to be addressed in more ways than one. It starts with education — teaching children respect, equality, and healthy relationships from a young age. This helps raise a generation that does not accept or normalise violence,” he added.
Cody Williams, headboy of the school for 2026, said: “Our community suffers through the constant battle of gender based violence daily and that is why it is important to bring awareness to not just our society as a whole, but to our learners in schools to teach and prepare them of any serious crime to harass someone’s rights or feelings and the consequences thereof.”
Principal Natalie Arendse said her heart bleeds for all the learners in SA. “They experience it, see it, and often they are guilty of it themselves. As they say: ‘Hurt people, hurt people’. Gender-based violence has become such a common occurrence in our communities that people have been desensitised. It has almost become acceptable. We need to raise our voices and ensure that our people know, ‘No this is unacceptable’ and there is help – you are not alone.
“It is heartbreaking to see the fallout from it in our schools. Broken children, broken families, learners with anxiety, depression. Adolescents who are already in relationships, where they are victims of GBV. There needs to be harsher penalties, but also aggressive support and awareness in schools.”
Magnolia and Orleansvale primary schools also supported the shutdown.
“Moment of silence for GBV We stand against gender-based violence. Together, let’s break the silence, stand against GBV and femicide, and help build a safer South Africa for all,” read a statement from Magnolia.
In Klapmuts, police officers, Stellenbosch Municipality, Klapmuts Neigbourhood Watch, StellCare, traffic and law enforcement officials held a peaceful protest at the Stellengate Boulevard traffic light.
Ramaphosa’s announcement has also been welcomed by many around the country. The announcement also came a few days before the start of the 16-Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children Campaign, between 25 November and 10 December.
Bridget Masango, the chair of the portfolio committee on social development, said in a statement: “The President’s recognition of GBVF as a national crisis must be a catalyst for real action. We need full and urgent implementation of the National Strategic Plan on GBVF, along with tougher policies that deter perpetrators and ensure harsh consequences for those who continue to harm vulnerable citizens.”
