ANC Women’s League Appeals to President Ramaphosa to Designate Gender-Based Violence and Femicide as a National Emergency

The African National Congress Women’s League (ANCWL) has intensified its call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) a national disaster. During a media briefing on November 16, 2025, held alongside an ANC National Executive Committee meeting in Germiston, Secretary-General Nokuthula Nqaba stressed the urgency of the crisis. She warned that if decisive action is not taken, the league may collaborate with other groups planning national shutdowns to raise awareness about GBVF.

This demand aligns with the advocacy group Women for Change, which has organized a nationwide shutdown on November 21, 2025. They are urging women and the LGBTQI+ community to refrain from all work to demonstrate the social and economic consequences of their absence. This action is strategically timed to coincide with the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, emphasizing the global relevance of addressing GBVF.

The ANCWL’s push for a national disaster declaration is not unprecedented; in June 2025, a government-hosted roundtable acknowledged the necessity for a coordinated, victim-centered approach to combat GBVF. However, activists argue that current frameworks have not yielded significant results. Women for Change has pledged to persist in their advocacy until the government acts, citing the perceived inadequacies of existing measures.

The ANCWL’s actions reflect a growing consensus among women’s organizations and civil society in South Africa regarding the severity of GBVF. Their threat to disrupt the G20 Summit if the issue remains unaddressed highlights the urgent frustration felt by these groups. As the national shutdown date approaches, pressure mounts on President Ramaphosa and the government to take effective action against GBVF.