The #Total-Shutdown movement says although men are not welcome to participate in Wednesday’s March, they are encouraged to engage in the nationwide shutdown.
The movement, along with members of the LGBTI and gender-neutral groups in eight of the nine provinces as well as Lesotho and Namibia are calling for a shutdown of economic activity or at least a pause between 1pm and 1:30pm.
They are attempting to raise awareness around gender-based violence and the escalating rate of femicide.
Tshwaranang Legal Advocacy Centre to end Violence against Women Executive Director Nondumiso Nsimande says, “Men are not welcome to join the March, however we have recognised that we certainly do have men as allies. What we do encourage on this day is that men must not go to work. If they do then we ask that they stand in for the women who will be at the march. We are also encouraging that there be no economic activity today. So we will be happy if men, as allies, will not buy anything.”
