Why everyone’s profile picture is purple - and what will happen on November 21

A South African-led shutdown has turned social media purple as activists demand government action on gender-based violence ahead of the G20 summit.

The purple avatars are a digital amplifier for a one-day protest that calls for gender-based violence and femicide to be declared a national disaster.

Who started it & why it went viral

The campaign was launched and publicised by Women For Change in South Africa as part of a petition demanding that the state declare gender-based violence and femicide as a national disaster.

The group says the colour and the profile picture change make the shutdown visible online and raise pressure on government in the run-up to the G20.

The numbers fuelling the protest

Women For Change states that at least 15 women are murdered every day in South Africa.

The group also states that a woman is killed every 2.5 hours.

The campaign's urgency is supported by recent annual data.

According to figures cited by the group for the period of April 2023 to March 2024, 5,578 women were killed, a 33.8% increase in femicide compared to the previous year.

During that same 12-month period, 42,569 rape cases were officially reported.

Advocacy groups estimate that up to 95% of rape cases go unreported.

South Africa’s femicide rate is placed at more than five times the global average.

What the movement is asking for

The organisers have published a specific, multi-part plan for the November 21 shutdown.

The tactics call for participants to take five specific actions:

• No Labour: Refrain from all paid and unpaid work for the day.

• No Spending: Withdraw from the economy by not spending any money for 24 hours.

• Wear Black: Wear black clothing as a sign of mourning and resistance.

• Maintain Purple Profile: Keep social media profiles purple for online visibility.

• Join the Standstill: Participate in a 15-minute "lie-down standstill" at 12:00 PM, symbolising the 15 women reportedly murdered daily in South Africa.

The Friday 'shutdown' is timed to precede the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg on November 22–23, 2025.

The scale so far

The petition associated with the shutdown has rapidly grown in recent days.

South African media reports say it surpassed one million signatures this week.

Government response and official position

The government's official position is the primary catalyst for the shutdown.

Authorities, via South Africa's National Disaster Management Centre, formally rejected the petition in early November 2025, stating that GBV does not legally qualify as a 'disaster.'

Women For Change announced the shutdown as a direct escalation in response to this specific refusal.

The purple avatars quickly saturated Kenyan timelines as users, influencers, and media personalities adopted the icon.

This digital solidarity has made the South African-led campaign highly visible locally.

The campaign is visible across all major platforms, primarily Instagram, TikTok, X, and Facebook.

What November 21 will look like, in SA & globally

Organisers state the shutdown's goal is to create tangible economic and social disruption.

The combination of the labour stoppage and spending freeze is intended to demonstrate the economic power of women and their allies, effectively halting commerce.

This action is timed to generate maximum international media pressure.

By staging the protest immediately before the G20 Leaders' Summit, the campaign aims to force the South African government to publicly address the protest and its core demand for a 'National Disaster' status declaration.

The 12:00 PM standstill is designed as the day's key symbolic moment, bringing the country to a visible halt.