President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa will now formally classify gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide as a “crisis” that must be urgently addressed, as civil society prepares nationwide protests ahead of the G20 Summit.
Speaking at the G20 Social Summit in Boksburg on Thursday, Ramaphosa acknowledged mounting pressure from advocacy groups such as Women for Change, which is planning a national shutdown on 21 November to demand that GBV be declared a national disaster.
“They need protection, support and assistance – from their government and from the men of South Africa. It is for this reason that we have said, in recognising the plight of our women, we are now going to classify gender-based violence and femicide as a crisis, a crisis that needs to be addressed,” he said.
‘We will not be bullied’
Ramaphosa also used the platform to signal South Africa’s stance within the G20, saying negotiations around the summit declaration would proceed regardless of whether the United States was on board.
“We will have a declaration. The talks are going extremely well. I am confident that we are moving towards the declaration, and they are now just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” he said.
Asked if the process would move forward without Washington’s support, he responded: “We will not be bullied. We will not agree to be bullied.”
‘This is the century of women’
The president said discussions at the Social Summit had strengthened calls for greater political commitment to young people, women and children, particularly around health, education and economic opportunity.
“It has called for the health and well-being of women and children to be prioritised and for greater representation of women in all facets of society,” he noted.
“Gone should be the days when women are relegated to the back of everything that happens in society. We should actually be saying this is the century of women.”
Ramaphosa said women must “take their rightful place” in shaping global affairs and confirmed South Africa’s support for the Global Leaders Network for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health, which is working to mobilise financing for health services in vulnerable communities.
GBV ‘erodes the social fabric’
Linking GBV directly to South Africa’s development prospects, Ramaphosa warned that violence against women and girls carries a heavy social and economic cost.
“No society can thrive for as long as gender-based violence and femicide continue to deny women their agency. The violence perpetrated by men against women in many countries erodes the social fabric of nations,” he said, adding that the crisis “constrains development and weakens inclusive growth”.
He stressed that men and boys must be “critical partners” in changing behaviour and challenging “inherited attitudes, power imbalances and social structures that normalise violence and silence survivors”.
Shutdown and protests planned
Ramaphosa’s comments come as several civic formations prepare to take to the streets around the G20 meeting.
Women for Change has called a nationwide shutdown for Friday 21 November, the day before the summit, to demand tougher action on GBV and for it to be treated as a national disaster.
Separately, Operation Dudula and other groups have announced plans for peaceful protests during the G20 itself, aimed at highlighting poverty, unemployment and broader social grievances.
Police have indicated they are ready for the demonstrations, which are expected to coincide with heightened security around the summit.
Ramaphosa said all social partners agree that “extraordinary and concerted action” is needed to end the GBV crisis, adding that input from the Social Summit would help governments “better understand people’s lived experiences – what works, what does not, and what must change.”
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Featured Image: Getty | Instagram @womenforchangesa
