Women For Change announces 15 national sites for silent GBV protest

Women For Change has released its list of 15 official gathering sites for the nationwide silent protest scheduled for 21 November. The movement is urging South Africans to dress in black and participate in a 15-minute lie-down at midday to honour the lives of the 15 women lost to gender-based violence every single day in the country.

The action forms part of a broader national shutdown coinciding with the G20 Summit, where organisers hope to amplify the message that gender-based violence and femicide must be treated as a national emergency. The protest is intentionally non-confrontational, symbolic and peaceful, designed to stop the country in its tracks — even if only for a moment.

Among the designated gathering points are Sea Point Promenade in Cape Town, Constitution Hill in Johannesburg, North Beach in Durban, Summerstrand Beach in Gqeberha, the University of Pretoria’s Aula Lawn, Riverside Government Boulevard in Nelspruit, and several university campuses nationwide. These locations were selected to allow as many communities as possible to take part.

Women For Change stresses that attendance at the official sites is not mandatory. Those unable to travel can lie down wherever they are — at work, at home, or in any safe public space. Volunteers will be present at each major site to coordinate the moment of silence and ensure that the atmosphere remains calm and respectful.

The organisation has framed the protest as a collective act of grief, defiance and solidarity. With the country recording some of the highest femicide rates in the world, organisers say the silence is meant to speak louder than any march. The campaign also encourages participants to use the #WomenShutdown hashtag and display purple-themed profile pictures online to extend visibility beyond physical spaces.