The school community at Crawford International Ruimsig came together to take a stand against gender-based violence (GBV) on Friday, November 21, by participating in the G20 Women’s Shutdown.

South Africans took a moment to reflect on the ongoing GBV pandemic and paid tribute to those who have been affected by it.

The shutdown was organised as part of a broader civil society movement calling for stronger action against GBV by the Women For Change organisation. Women were asked to pause their daily activities for a set specific time of 15 minutes, wear all black and purple colours, and participate in moments of silence to draw attention to the scale of violence affecting women and girls in the country. The purpose of this shutdown was to highlight the urgency of the crisis and to call for sustained public pressure for change.

Learners, staff, and the administrative team assembled on the school field, where they observed 15 minutes of silence.

“Today we unite as South Africans to support the stand behind every single individual who has suffered gender-based violence, and the reason why we will be celebrating 15 minutes of absolute silence is to think about those people that have lost their lives, because in our country we lose 15 people a day, daily due to GBV, and we will lay down here today in support of that. We need to reflect on the difference we can make as the future generation of this country. Think about the role you can play and how you can make a difference,” said principal David Maree.

The silence was not only a sign of tribute, but it was also a call to action for learners to consider how they can contribute to creating safer communities. By participating in the shutdown, the school showed that it is committed to providing safer communities for women and girls and promoting GBV awareness.