South African Women Protest Gender Violence at G20

South African women’s rights groups are organizing nationwide protests to demand that gender-based violence (GBV) be declared a national disaster, culminating in a “shutdown” on Friday before the G20 Summit. This movement, supported by celebrities and citizens, highlights alarming GBV statistics, including a murder rate of women five times higher than the global average. Activists criticize the government’s lack of effective action, despite previous declarations of GBV as a national crisis. Some women are also taking self-defense measures, including gun ownership, in response to the escalating violence.