Friday 21st Women’s Shut Down – An opinion piece

This Friday, ISCT participated in showing our support for the ongoing Gender Based Violence and Femicide crisis. Anyone, unfortunately, can be subject to GBV, however in South Africa, females suffer most from these crimes. Students came dressed in purple and black, raising awareness and spreading the idea that we, as a community,  we want GBV&F to be addressed with greater urgency, and many of us  feel having it declared a National Disaster will be a significant step in that direction. These colours demonstrate the mourning and loss of many women and girls’ lives who have been taken unfairly and untimeously.

We hear stories all the time on the radio during our morning commutes to work and school, cases of women being raped or murdered or abused, barely surviving with the scars. On average, the lives of 15 women are taken each day. I have heard of devastating crimes committed against close friends and family, people I spend each day with. Women and girls are having to live in fear, and unfortunately, even of people who are supposed to protect them. The likelihood of your daughter, your sister, your friend, your partner being put through something like this, in our country, is becoming even more likely. We must prevent this, and make efforts to do whatever it is we can to do so.

Enough is enough. If this crisis is to be declared a national disaster it will stimulate greater action and procedures taken to fight against GBV&F. We can show our support by:

• Building the courage to call out those around you who act out of line, who make people feel uncomfortable with their words or action
• Supporting those who feel unsafe
• Signing the petition, created by the Women For Change NPO (the coordinators of Friday’s campaign) to declare GBV&F as a national crisis 
• Donating to the Women for Change NPO, or any organization that is fighting against GBV&F and supporting those affected by these crimes. 

Alternatively, we can show our support in other ways. In the digital age, information spreads rapidly on social media. We hold great power. With the ability of sharing local stories of women being attacked or killed, we can raise awareness on individual cases that are not given the recognition they deserve. It is crucial that we think about where our “repost” counts most. In this way we can cause a chain reaction. As an example, the purple profile has spread all over the world. Internationally, more people have signed the petition, and donated towards the cause. 

In doing this, you are joining an ongoing process to bring justice for yourself, for your friends and family, for 17 year-old Anene, who was raped and murdered, for Karabo, who went missing and whose body was later found burnt, for 28 year-old and pregnant Tshegofatso who was stabbed and left dead in a most cruel manner, and for countless others, some whose names aren’t even reported.

We are the future of our country. Small actions done in consistent quantity, by each individual, gives us the opportunity to make the most powerful and necessary change.

– Rachel