Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Purple Profile Pictures Signal Support as Women For Change Sets Nov. 21 Shutdown Over Gender-Based Violence

Organisers contend existing GBV protections work only on paper.

Overview

  • Women For Change has called for a nationwide halt to all paid and unpaid work on 21 November, with participants urged not to spend money to highlight the economic impact of women’s absence.
  • The plan includes a 15‑minute lie‑down at 12 p.m., black clothing to signify mourning, and a coordinated push for purple profile pictures to keep the protest visible online.
  • The group is pressing for GBV to be declared a national disaster and cites its own estimate that a woman is killed roughly every 2.5 hours in South Africa.
  • The shutdown is scheduled for the day before the G20 Leaders’ Summit, and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says the province is ready with enhanced security and warns potential disruptors.
  • The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities has urged the public to take action against GBV and publicized reporting and support hotlines.