Solidarity, Silence, Shutdown: Women in black rise against femicide

Thousands of women in black, supported by some men, streamed into the public spaces of Cape Town on Friday to protest against gender-based violence. Similar protests took place at Constitution Hill in Johannesburg and in other cities across the country.

At noon, the participants lay down in silence for 15 minutes to honour the 15 women killed every day in South Africa.

The G20 Women’s Shutdown was planned for the day before the G20 leaders’ summit opens in Johannesburg to capture global attention and put pressure on President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare gender-based violence a national disaster. Under the campaign, women stayed away from work and did not spend money.

In Cape Town, several thousand women joined the national Women For Change Shutdown on the Sea Point promenade, while hundreds more gathered in parks across the windy city from Claremont to Hout Bay.

Children at Wynberg Girls’ Junior School were among those who supported the campaign by wearing black ribbons around their wrists and raising them together at noon. (Wendilee Melee)

Children at Wynberg Junior School were among those who supported the campaign by wearing black ribbons around their wrists and raising them together at noon and observing 15 minutes silence.

The Mothers4Gaza group at Keurboom Park in Claremont, some with purple ribbons or keffiyehs, spanned out under the trees at noon with a scattering of dogs and children looking on. “We are here in solidarity with women impacted by violence everywhere,” said Dr Karen Daniels, whose dress had a poster saying “Mother. Activist. Human” on the back.

“Women are impacted the worst by violence. As Mothers4Gaza we are in solidarity with the mothers in Palestine — war impacts most on women who carry the burden of care which is often invisible — and we are in solidarity with the women of South Africa who are also in a situation of crisis.”

Daniels said: “We are standing up for all the women who can’t be here to protest for whatever reason. Activists are often the privileged women who have time. Women in our circles have experienced abuse and we all face the major challenge of patriarchy.”

Ariq Chetty, 24, and Wazi Soko, 19, were among the men at the Mothers4Gaza protest. “We are standing up with women against violence,” said Chetty.

These Mothers4Gaza members were among dozens of women supporting the #WomenShutdown protest at Keurboom Park in Cape Town. (Claire Keeton)

Soko said: “We are saying enough is enough and we want President Ramaphosa to declare gender-based violence (GBV) a state of disaster. He made the politically safe choice to call it a crisis but it is a disaster.”

Soko’s mother, Heidi Villa-Vincencio, said gender-based violence has become accepted by South Africans yet it was never acceptable. “That is why I have closed my (research) company for the day,” she said.

TimesLIVE reported that Women For Change spokesperson Cameron Kasambala said the movement deliberately mobilised a work stoppage to demonstrate the country’s dependence on women.

Women are impacted the worst by violence. As Mothers for Gaza we are in solidarity with the mothers in Palestine - war impacts most on women who carry the burden of care which is often invisible – and we are in solidarity with the women of South Africa who are also in a situation of crisis.
— Dr Karen Daniels

“This moment was important because we wanted to show the South African government the consequence of our social and economic absence,” Kasambala said.

Gender-based violence must stop said women at the #WomenShutdown at Sea Point Promenade. Thousands attended the main protest at noon. (The Sunday Times\Ruvan Boshoff)

The Women for Change Shutdown underscores how social justice movements are connected said Miki Redelinghuys, who directed the multi award-winning documentary Mother City with Pearlie Joubert.

“I don’t think we can separate social justice struggles and right now South Africa is facing an unspoken crisis of femicide and it just goes on. This is not the first time this has been said, this is not new. This is constant, it is a crisis.

“Every now and then then is an outcry (against GBV) but there is no real political commitment to truly address this so any action we do, whether it is big or small, is important. That’s why I’m here.

“This is showing solidarity, gathering with women who feel the same way,” Redelinghuys said. “Why Mothers4Gaza? I love this group and there is agency is knowing that there are other people who think and care all the time.”

TimesLIVE