By Zukile Majova
Political Editor
- Ramaphosa has declared gender-based violence a national crisis, with new courts, training and a R5-billion emergency fund to fight it.
- South Africans are staging a national shutdown protest today to demand action against gender-based violence and femicide.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has put gender-based violence at the top of the agenda at the G20 Summit in Johannesburg.
He said gender-based violence is holding the country back and declared it a national crisis.
“No society can thrive while gender-based violence persists,” he said.
Ramaphosa’s declaration means the government will now take urgent steps. These include new laws, a special emergency response council and a massive R5-billion fund.
He said the country cannot grow economically if women and girls live in fear.
“No economic plan can succeed if half the population is unsafe or silenced,” he said.
As part of the plan, 200 new sexual offences courts will be opened by 2028. Police officers, prosecutors and magistrates will also get special training.
Ramaphosa announced that schools will start a campaign from 2026 to change toxic ideas about manhood and masculinity.
He called on men and boys to challenge “inherited attitudes, power imbalances and social structures” that cause violence and silence survivors.
He praised civil society groups and honoured the memory of women who were victims of brutal violence, including Uyinene Mrwetyana, Reeva Steenkamp and Tshegofatso Pule.
While Ramaphosa made the speech, thousands of people across South Africa were already taking action.
Women for Change organised a nationwide protest called the G20 Women’s Shutdown on Thursday, 21 November.
People were asked to wear black, stop working, and not spend any money.
At midday, supporters lay down in silence for 15 minutes across 15 different locations, including the Union Buildings Lawn in Pretoria and Johannesburg Botanical Gardens.
Protesters are demanding that the government declare gender-based violence and femicide a national disaster and take real action to end the crisis.
Supporters also shared the message online using #WomenShutdown and changed their profile pictures to purple.
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Image source: File
