Women for Change hails 'incredible turnout' for Cape Town protest against GBV

Thousands of women and anti-gender-based violence (GBV) supporters were in tears on Friday during an emotional demonstration at Sea Point Promenade.

The G20 National Shutdown was organised by the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Women for Change to highlight the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide in the country.

READ: COGTA: GBVF's classification as national disaster doesn't grant govt access to emergency powers, funds

In April, the NGO handed over a petition to government asking for GBV and femicide to be declared a national disaster — a similar petition recently garnered more than one million signatures.

About 3,000 women and anti-GBV supporters, dressed in black, took part in the demonstration. Those who had gathered lay down on the grass for 15 minutes at noon to mourn the 15 women who are murdered in the country every day.

Many of the women could be seen hedding tears as the names of the women who were murdered in incidents of GBV were read over a loudspeaker.

Merlize Jogiat, advocacy co-ordinator at Women for Change, commented on the day:

"It's been a very emotional day. We've had women crying because we recognise how many sisters we lose to femicide every day and I think the turnout has been incredible, but I think now everybody deeply resonates with the losses that we keep having because gender-based violence and femicide is not actually really being dealt with."

Jogiat said she hopes the shutdown will spark more meaningful conversations to address deeply rooted cultural issues around GBV and femicide.