Daily Maverick readers have voted Women for Change as the Movement of the Year for its role in the G20 Women’s Shutdown, which highlighted South Africa’s high rates of gender-based violence and femicide. The November 21 protest led to over one million petition signatures and a national disaster declaration by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Founded by Sabrina Walter, the group evolved from a running club into a global voice for survivors.
Women for Change, a grassroots initiative, has earned recognition as the Movement of the Year in Daily Maverick's 2025 People of the Year awards. The group orchestrated the G20 Women’s Shutdown on November 21, urging women to skip work, switch social media profiles to purple, wear black, and join 15-minute lie-ins to honor victims. This action drew widespread attention, culminating in a petition with more than one million signatures calling for gender-based violence to be declared a national disaster. On the protest day, President Cyril Ramaphosa complied with the demand.
Originating in 2014 as the Catch Me If You Can running club in Cape Town, the network grew to include over 25,000 women nationwide. Cofounder Sabrina Walter, who moved from Germany to South Africa in 2010, shifted focus after the 2016 rape and murder of 16-year-old Franziska Blöchliger in Tokai Forest. A memorial run drew 4,000 participants, including women, men, children, horses, and dogs. 'A week after Franziska was murdered, 4,000 women, men, children, horses and dogs showed up and walked in memory of her and all the other women,' Walter recounted.
The Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted a pivot to social media, where the group now reaches over 400,000 Instagram followers and 200,000 on TikTok. It has shared stories of more than 1,600 survivors, often directly from families rather than media reports. Beyond advocacy, Women for Change provides initial support, linking victims to organizations and pro bono counseling.
Earlier efforts included an April protest at the Union Buildings, featuring an unburied casket with 5,578 purple beads—each representing a woman killed in a year. The movement has faced backlash for spotlighting figures like the late rapper AKA, R&B artist R Kelly, podcaster Andrew Tate, and a petition against Chris Brown’s Johannesburg concert, which sparked harassment. Walter has countered transparency concerns by releasing annual financial statements, noting she takes no salary. 'I do not pay myself a salary, which everyone can see in our financial statements, and I’m doing this for purpose and for nothing else,' she said. The group now aims to expand its support team while sustaining awareness efforts. 'I think what is really important is to keep this movement going, keep speaking up and keep educating each other,' Walter emphasized.
