Boksburg, Ekurhuleni – President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared gender based violence and femicide a national crisis in South Africa, a development that has sparked national debate as activists push for even stronger action. The announcement was made during his closing remarks at the G20 Social Summit in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, where he told delegates that government and its social partners agreed that extraordinary and coordinated measures were urgently needed to confront the crisis.
Ramaphosa said women across the country have repeatedly called for greater protection, support and visible action. He said the scale of violence demanded urgent national recognition to enable government to use all available resources.
The declaration was made on the eve of the G20 Women’s Shutdown, a nationwide strike organised by Women for Change. The organisation had asked Ramaphosa to classify gender based violence and femicide as a national disaster, which would permit the immediate allocation of emergency funding to prevention, response and survivor support initiatives.
Women for Change has mobilised women and LGBTQI plus communities across South Africa to stay away from all paid and unpaid work, universities and domestic responsibilities for the entire day while refraining from spending money. The plan is intended to show the economic and social impact of their absence. The organisation warned that South Africa cannot claim progress while a woman continues to die every two and a half hours.
Ahead of the G20 Summit, the group unveiled a billboard in Johannesburg that reads Welcome to the country where women are only safe in a casket. The billboard has received widespread public reaction and reflects the anger felt by many South Africans.
Ramaphosa said countries cannot achieve equality or sustainable development if the rights and labour contributions of women are not fully recognised. He told the summit that violence by men against women erodes the social fabric of the nation and restricts inclusive growth.
The President also stressed the importance of involving men and boys in changing harmful social norms. He said they must actively challenge inherited attitudes, power imbalances and structures that allow violence to continue and silence survivors.
Discussion about this post