Celebrities have joined the online movement ahead of the women’s shutdown on November 21.
The Women for Change advocacy group called on everyone, especially women and girls, to change their social media profile pictures to purple in solidarity to declare gender-based violence a national disaster in South Africa.
The shutdown is expected to bring women together for a 15-minute standstill at 12pm to honour the 15 women murdered each day in the country.
Singer Tyla, Bonang Matheba, Lerato Kganyago, Relebogile Mabotja, Refilwe Madumo and Sinhle Nbada were among the celebrities who have changed their profile picftures.
Sihle took to her timeline calling for other women to participate and wear black on the day to symbolise mourning the lives that have been lost.
“If you’re seeing a purple profile picture please know that person, myself included, are standing with Women for Change against GBV, against the Tom foolery that has been happening in this country. We deserve to be treated like human beings,” Sihle said.
“This is not new. It’s been happening for a very long time, and we need to do something about it.”
Singer J Something, who said his wife told him about the campaign, spoke about 9,000 daily rape incidents in the past three months to raise awareness about the lack of safety for women.
“It is something we can’t keep ignoring, and it is something that needs to addressed by you and I, and more importantly by the f***en leaders of the country. They need to step in,” he said.
“The leaders need to wake up. Something needs to be done. I agree with the fact that we should shut down. This is not normal.”
Somizi Mhlongo changed his profile picture to purple and said: “Women, you are your own worst enemy. Why should there be any woman who is against this?
“I would understand if there are men who don’t support the profile picture. The shutdown is in solidarity over GBV and femicide so it would make sense if some men do not go for that because they are perpetrators, but to have women say it is too performative, you are your own worst enemies. Stop it. You are more powerful together than apart.”
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