NAIROBI, Kenya- South Africa witnessed a powerful wave of activism as thousands of women, young people, and allies participated in the nationwide Purple Protest, a coordinated shutdown demanding urgent government action to address gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.
The movement, driven largely by the advocacy collective Women for Change, saw the country’s streets, social feeds, and public spaces turn purple as demonstrators raised their voices against what has long been described as a national crisis.
The protest was a culmination of years of frustration over persistent violence against women and girls. South Africa remains one of the countries with the highest reported rates of femicide globally, with advocacy groups estimating that more than a dozen women are killed every day.
The Purple Protest, therefore, was not merely symbolic but a direct call for structural reforms, accountability within the justice system, and greater state responsibility.
One of the defining features of the movement was its 15-minute national lie-down, held at midday across major cities. Participants lay flat on the ground in silence — a powerful gesture representing the average number of women and girls killed daily in South Africa.
From Johannesburg to Cape Town, Pretoria to Pietermaritzburg, shopping centres, parks, university campuses and public squares filled with bodies pressed to the earth, creating a haunting but unified display of grief and solidarity.
Beyond the physical demonstrations, the protest had a strong digital component. Organisers urged supporters to turn their social media profile pictures purple, a strategy that quickly turned the hashtag movement into a national visual statement.
Influencers, celebrities, civil society organisations and ordinary citizens joined in, signalling mass participation long before physical gatherings even began.
Corporate brands and media houses also adopted the purple theme, expanding the movement’s reach and visibility.
The organisers also issued a call for a one-day national shutdown, asking women to abstain from both paid and unpaid labour to demonstrate the economic impact of ongoing violence.
Businesses were encouraged to allow flexible participation for employees wishing to join demonstrations, while some schools offered counselling spaces for students affected by the cause.
Central to the protest’s demands was a push to have gender-based violence and femicide declared a national disaster.
This classification, activists argued, would mobilise more resources, elevate the urgency of the crisis, and compel government departments to coordinate more aggressively on prevention and justice.
However, the momentum of the Purple Protest appears to have shifted that conversation. The National Disaster Management Centre and the Ministry of Cooperative Governance — officially declared GBV and femicide a national disaster.
While this declaration does not trigger emergency powers, it places binding responsibility on government structures to intensify interventions, improve victim support systems, and strengthen law-enforcement responses.
For many protesters, this was a significant symbolic victory, marking a rare instance where public mobilisation directly influenced state action.
Activists welcomed the declaration but emphasised that symbolism alone is not enough.
They are now demanding transparent timelines, budget allocations, and measurable commitments from the state to address systemic failures in policing, prosecution and social support.
The protest also amplified broader frustrations about the justice system. Many families of GBV victims joined the demonstrations, holding placards bearing the names and faces of their loved ones.
Their message was clear: they want speedy trials, stronger enforcement of restraining orders, improved forensic capacity and harsher penalties for repeat offenders.
Young women also raised concerns about inconsistent handling of rape cases, insufficient survivor support, and the lack of safe public transportation.
Despite its heavy message, the protest was also a display of unity and collective healing. Volunteers distributed water, pamphlets and counselling information. Musicians and poets performed pieces honouring victims and uplifting survivors.
In Cape Town’s Sea Point Promenade, hundreds of participants held hands in a long chain of purple, forming a symbolic barrier against violence.
In Johannesburg, a group of university students created a “Purple Wall” where people could write messages of hope, remembrance and resistance.
