Cape Town – Women and men from across Cape Town gathered at the iconic Artscape on the Foreshore today, marking a strong show of unity against the escalating issue of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa and beyond.
At 12:00 PM, participants took part in a symbolic “Silent Lie Down” on the Steps @ Artscape for 15 minutes, a moment of silence to honour the 15 women murdered daily in South Africa due to GBV. The event was organised by Women For Change, a movement that is calling for urgent action to address femicide and gender-based violence in the country.
“Until South Africa stops burying a woman every 2.5 hours, the G20 cannot speak of growth and progress. Women For Change demands that Gender-Based Violence and Femicide be declared a National Disaster. Not tomorrow. Not at another summit. Now,” a spokesperson from the group said.
Women For Change had called on individuals from all walks of life to show their support in various ways. The actions included refraining from both paid and unpaid labour, wearing black to symbolise mourning and resistance, changing profile pictures to purple to raise awareness online, and withdrawing from spending to make a statement economically.
The demonstration was inclusive of the LGBTQI+ community, with men also joining as allies in support of the cause. This collective action brought attention to the severity of GBV and femicide in the country, demanding immediate and decisive intervention from the government.
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