Nairobi, November 13- A digital wave of purple is sweeping across social media platforms from TikTok and Instagram to Facebook and X as millions unite against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.
What started quietly in South Africa has transformed into a continent-wide movement, spreading rapidly to Kenya, Ghana, Botswana, and Nigeria. Users are changing their profile pictures to purple or adding purple backdrops to show solidarity and demand justice.
The campaign, launched by South African non-profit Women for Change (WFC), aims to amplify voices ahead of the G20 Women’s Shutdown on November 21, 2025. Coinciding with South Africa’s hosting of the G20 Summit, the movement calls on global leaders to confront the alarming rates of violence against women and children.
Data from South Africa’s Public Safety and Justice Survey shows that most GBV cases are committed by people known to the victims an unsettling reality that has intensified anger toward government inaction. Activists say the shutdown is a direct demand for the government to declare GBV and femicide a national disaster.
The color purple, now dominating timelines, has become the movement’s defining symbol signifying mourning for victims and unwavering hope for change.
The Women’s Shutdown urges people to wear black, abstain from all forms of work, pause spending, and change their profile pictures to purple. At noon, participants are encouraged to lie still for 15 minutes, each minute representing one of the 15 women killed daily in South Africa due to GBV.
This synchronized act of protest both digital and physical seeks to halt the nation, compelling recognition of a crisis too long ignored. Beyond activism, the purple movement has become a powerful collective plea for justice, safety, and equality.
