“This Is Not a March”: Women for Change Shares Guidelines for G20 Women’s Shutdown

• Women For Change shared a video with guidelines for the G20 Women's Shutdown happening on Friday, 21 November
• The organisation is asking women and LGBTQI+ community members to lie down in silence for 15 minutes at 12 pm
• South Africans asked questions about how to participate, with some wanting to know if men can join the lie-down

Women For Change SA shared a video on 20 November 2025 explaining the guidelines for the G20 Women's Shutdown happening on Friday, 21 November. The video was captioned:

"2 more days until the G20 Women's Shutdown 💜 Join us from 11.30 am for the 15-minute silent lie-down on Friday, 21 November at 12 PM at this meeting point. Please note, this is NOT a march."

In the video, the committee manager clarified what the shutdown is about, saying,

"I just wanted to clarify a few things because I'm still hearing whispers about marches, seeing comments, having interviews where they're asking the same question. Just to clarify, Friday is not a march. We're not taking to the streets. We're not rioting. We're not doing anything like that. This is a silent protest."

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She explained that they're asking women and members of the LGBTQI+ community to refrain from going to work and for everyone to refrain from engaging with the economy by not withdrawing money or making payments. People are asked to wear black to mourn the lives lost and purple profile pictures to show solidarity.

The woman explained:

"At 12:00, we're doing 15 minutes of silence for the 50 women killed every single day. I think this is the part that confuses people. Those 15 minutes of silence are a lie-down. Women and members of the queer community will be lying down for those 15 minutes." She said they've posted about designated spots in every province where there are at least two to three locations with coordinators to make sure it's a safe space.

She emphasised:

"This is not a protest. This is an event. The reason is that we're showing the consequences of our social and economic absence. What happens when we are not there? If we're not there, if we're dead, if we're being killed, we will not be in the streets. We will not be at work. We will not be doing anything because we're not here to do anything."

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Mzansi reacts to shutdown guidelines

Netizens reacted to the guidelines shared on TikTok user @womenforchange.sa's video:

@Lilac-Tee wrote:

"15 minutes of prayer 💜😭🖤."

@Phase_1_ofderanged asked:

"Can men participate in the lie-down?"

@faith shared:

"As much as I'd love not to go to work, but my boss already said NO. But I'll participate while at work 💜💜💜."

@BellaVita17 said:

"Personally, I'm ghosting everyone that day. Not answering calls, not opening doors, no texting. No out-of-office notice. No request for leave. No apologies. Nothing."

@bimpay questioned:

"Guys, are we putting in leave at work? What are we telling our bosses? 😭"

Why the G20 shutdown is happening

According to Women For Change's website, every day in South Africa, at least 15 women are murdered and 117 women report rape cases to the police. According to SAPS Crime Statistics from April 2023 to March 2024, 5,578 women and 1,656 children were killed, with femicide rising by 33.8% compared to the previous year. The organisation is calling on the South African government to declare GBVF a National Disaster.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

More G20 Women's Shutdown stories

• Briefly News recently reported on Amanda du-Pont donating R100k to Women for Change ahead of the GBV shutdown.
• Durban residents took to the streets for the GBV national shutdown, showing their support both on the streets and online.
• Women for Change called for a nationwide shutdown where women refrain from economic activity for the day.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News