Why South Africans Are Turning Their Profile Pictures Purple

Purple Everywhere: A Digital Stand Against Gender-Based Violence

Scroll through South African social media and you might notice one striking trend: profile pictures awash in purple, with users sprinkling purple hearts across platforms. But this isn’t just an aesthetic choice, it’s part of a nationwide movement against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide.

The initiative comes from Women For Change, a women’s rights advocacy group, which has called for GBV to be declared a national disaster. The organisation is urging South African women and members of the LGBTQI+ community to participate in a nationwide shutdown on Friday, 21 November, a day before the G20 Leaders’ Summit.

A Shutdown With a Message

The shutdown isn’t your usual protest. Participants are asked to refrain from all paid and unpaid work, including household chores, skip spending money, and stage a 15-minute symbolic standstill at 12 pm. This is to honour the 15 women murdered daily in South Africaa staggering and horrifying statistic that highlights the country’s ongoing GBV crisis.

Demonstrators are encouraged to wear black, a symbol of mourning and resistance, while changing their profile pictures to purple. “This isn’t just about visibility online,” Women For Change emphasises. “It’s about showing the social and economic impact of women’s absence from work and society for just one day.”

Social media has become the digital backbone of the protest, with purple hearts, banners, and posts creating a virtual standstill to complement the physical demonstration. The symbolism is clear: purple signifies courage, dignity, and resistance, an urgent reminder that the fight against femicide is far from over.

The Numbers Behind the Protest

The facts are chilling. South Africa loses a woman to murder every 2.5 hours, making femicide and GBV one of the most pressing social crises in the country. Organisers argue that the shutdown is a chance to make the scale of the issue visible and force both society and government to confront it head-on.

G20 Preparations Continue Amidst Activism

While South Africans prepare for the shutdown, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has reaffirmed that the province is ready to host the G20 Summit. Lesufi emphasised that state-of-the-art security measures are in place to safeguard international delegates, and that law enforcement has already conducted extensive dry runs to ensure the province remains safe during the event.

“We know areas of deep concern, and we have prepared for them,” Lesufi said. “We want to send a clear message to anyone planning disruptions: we are ready.”

This juxtaposition of activism and international diplomacy highlights the complex social landscape of South Africa today, where urgent domestic issues coexist with the pressures of hosting a global summit.

Why Purple Matters

Changing a profile picture might seem like a small gesture, but in this context, it’s part of a larger symbolic and strategic protest. Purple signals solidarity with victims of GBV, marks defiance against systemic failures, and shows that citizens won’t remain silent while women’s lives are endangered.

As the purple wave sweeps across social media, it’s clear that South Africans are finding creative ways to amplify their voices, bridging the digital world with real-world action. For many, Friday isn’t just another day, it’s a stand against violence, a call for accountability, and a statement that women’s rights matter.

South Africans participating in the shutdown are encouraged to document and share their involvement online, using purple hearts, posts, and stories to keep the conversation alive. In a country grappling with a persistent GBV crisis, every purple profile counts.

{Source: IOL}

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