Not In My Name backs national shutdown to declare GBV a national emergency

Mapaballo Borotho

Human rights group Not In My Name has joined calls for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide to be declared a national emergency.
The organisation voiced support for the upcoming national shutdown and the viral #PurpleProfile campaign.
It says South Africans must unite online and offline to demand justice, safety, and accountability for victims of GBV.

Human rights organisation, Not In My Name, has declared its support for South Africans who will be embarking on a national shutdown to demand that Gender-Based Violence and Femicide be declared a national emergency.

The organisation announced its support on Sunday, following a weekend of purple profile pictures flooding social media as women shared heartbreaking stories about the abuse they have suffered at the hands of their perpetrators.

“Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is not a private issue. It is a national crisis that continues to claim lives, destroy families, and shatter communities. Every three hours, a woman or child in our country faces brutality that could have been prevented,” the organisation said.

“We refuse to remain silent while our nation’s daughters, mothers, and sisters live in fear. We therefore declare GBV a national disaster, one that requires urgent, coordinated, and sustained action from all sectors of society.”

The organisation’s national organiser, Boitumelo Thage, emphasised that in this day and age, online activism is a lifeline, as it gives voice to those silenced by fear.

“Social media platforms have become modern-day picket lines — spaces where awareness is raised, solidarity is built, and accountability is demanded. By standing together online, we amplify the voices of survivors and remind the world that justice delayed is dignity denied,” she said.

Not In My Name International has also expressed full support for the #PurpleProfile campaign, describing it as a simple yet powerful act of remembrance and resistance.

Thage added that by turning their profile pictures purple, South Africans honour the victims whose lives were cut short by GBV and stand in unity with survivors who continue to fight for justice and healing.