Leading South Africa's Fight Against Gender-Based Violence and Femicide

Women for Change is a prominent South African women’s rights organisation dedicated to combating Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF). Founded in 2016, the group focuses on raising awareness, advocating for victim support, and pushing for systemic change through education and public advocacy. As one of the leading voices in the country’s fight against GBV, Women for Change harnesses social media and grassroots activism to expose the crisis and demand justice for survivors. Its online community exceeds 520,000 members, creating a powerful movement for change that amplifies women's experiences and calls for societal transformation.

The organisation recently launched the G20 Women’s Shutdown campaign, scheduled for November 21, 2025, a day before the G20 Summit. This bold initiative calls on women and members of the LGBTQI+ community across South Africa to refrain from all paid and unpaid work to visibly demonstrate the social and economic impact of their absence. The campaign aims to highlight the continuing epidemic of violence where South Africa reportedly loses a woman every 2.5 hours to rape or murder. Participants are urged to also abstain from economic activity, such as spending or withdrawing money, to bring attention to the urgency of the crisis. The shutdown has gained significant traction on social media, with South Africans changing their profile pictures to purple in solidarity with the campaign.

Women for Change is not only raising awareness but also pressing for government accountability. Spokespeople have criticized the slow pace of declaring GBV and femicide a national disaster—a move they argue is necessary to treat the issue as a human rights crisis needing urgent, coordinated response and transparent implementation of existing laws and policies. Despite South Africa having laws like the Domestic Violence Act and the Sexual Offenses Crimes Act, and strategic plans in place since 2019, the organisation stresses that poor implementation and lack of transparency around funding hinder real progress. The group calls for the government to clearly show what measures are being actively taken to curb GBV and femicide.

In addition to advocacy for women, Women for Change actively calls on men to become allies in the fight against gender-based violence. It stresses the necessity of involving men in national conversations and challenging macho culture as an essential part of changing the societal norms that enable violence. This inclusion is critical for a unified approach to ending GBV.

Women for Change is a potent movement rooted in survivor support, education, and advocacy. Its recent activities like the G20 Women’s Shutdown underscore both the ongoing severity of the GBV crisis in South Africa and the resolve of women and allies pushing for systemic change to create a safer, more equitable society