Hundreds of women gathered in Johannesburg, a day before the opening of the Group of 20 summit in South Africa.
Dressed in black, these ordinary citizens, celebrities and activists demonstrated for 15 minutes in a lying position, symbolizing the 15 lives lost every day to gender-based violence in South Africa.
"Silence for 15 minutes is a minute of silence for every woman who falls during the day, because statistics show that 15 women die every day as a result of gender-based violence and femicide. Each minute of silence is therefore a minute of mourning and tribute to those we have lost. ", said Courtney Gelderblom, protest coordinator.
South Africa, which presented a progressive agenda on gender equality issues during its G20 presidency, has a femicide rate five times higher than the global average according to UN Women, and has faced this problem for decades.
"I am here to show solidarity and unity in the face of the fact that gender-based violence is literally a national catastrophe in our country. This is a subject that is unfortunately very close to my heart, and I am here to show my solidarity and support for women, said content creator Sedi Matsunyane-Ferguson.
This non-violent action was organized in several cities, a day before the first meeting of G20 leaders on the African continent.
Organized by the non-profit group Women for Change, the protest was the culmination of a month of lobbying and pressure from the group to demand action from the South African government. A protest petition has received more than a million signatures.
In response, the government declared Friday that gender-based violence was a national catastrophe, forcing authorities to take action and devote resources to combating the scourge.
