Women For Change, a leading civil society organisation advocating against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), has announced a nationwide shutdown set for Friday, 21 November 2025 — one day before world leaders convene in Johannesburg for the G20 Summit.
The shutdown will see women and members of the LGBTQI+ community across South Africa withdraw from all forms of labour — paid and unpaid — to demonstrate the country’s reliance on their work and the impact of their absence. The action aims to intensify calls for GBVF to be officially recognised as a National Disaster.
The movement follows a national petition submitted to government in April 2025, calling for urgent intervention. With no formal response received, public frustration has grown. The petition has now surpassed 200,000 signatures, reflecting rising concern over the ongoing violence faced by women and LGBTQI+ individuals.
According to Women For Change, the statistics remain alarming. A woman is killed in South Africa every 2.5 hours — a rate among the highest globally. Founder and Executive Director Sabrina Walter says the silence from authorities has left women with no choice but to take collective action.
“Our silence has been met with inaction. Now, our silence will be our protest,” she said. “Ahead of the G20 discussions on growth and progress, South African women will show what happens when we disappear. There is no economy without women, and no progress while women live in fear.”
The organisation is calling on corporates, political parties, labour unions and civil society groups to support the shutdown by granting paid solidarity leave, enabling participation and amplifying the call for GBVF to be declared a National Disaster.
Women For Change is also urging President Cyril Ramaphosa and the South African government to take decisive steps to address the crisis, while appealing to global leaders to support the call for accountability and action.
With the world’s attention on South Africa during the G20 Summit, the shutdown is expected to send a strong message about the urgency of tackling GBVF — not only as a social issue, but as a national emergency affecting the country’s stability, economy and wellbeing.
The G20 Women’s Shutdown signals a pivotal moment for collective advocacy, described by organisers as a “national reckoning and a global call to conscience.”
More updates on the shutdown and related initiatives will be shared as the date approaches.
