On Friday, 21 November 2025, South Africa will witness a nationwide act of resistance as women and members of the LGBTQI+ community stage the G20 Women’s Shutdown.
Organised by Women For Change, the shutdown calls for urgent action against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide, issues that continue to devastate communities across the country.
The shutdown urges participants to withdraw from all economic and social activity for one day. Women are asked to stop both paid and unpaid labour, refrain from spending money, and make their absence felt across workplaces, schools, and homes.
At 12 pm, a symbolic 15-minute standstill will take place. Protesters will lie down to honour the 15 women murdered daily in South Africa, creating a powerful visual reminder of the human cost of GBV.
Numerous organisations and institutions have added their voices in solidarity with Women For Change by staging a lie down at exactly noon at various locations across the country.
Organisers have encouraged participants to:
- Wear black to signify mourning and resistance
- Change profile pictures to purple to amplify visibility online
- Share posters and use #WomenShutdown to spread awareness across social media
Employers, schools, and universities have been provided with template letters to support participants in formally requesting leave for the day. Businesses and organisations are also invited to join the shutdown in solidarity.
Statistics reveal that a woman is killed in South Africa every 2.5 hours, a rate among the highest in the world. Activists argue that GBV and femicide must be declared a National Disaster, demanding immediate government intervention and systemic change.
