CAPE TOWN – Over 120 staff members and 906 learners from Christel House South Africa (CHSA) drew purple hearts and wore black in honour of the Women’s Shutdown and to raise awareness of the suffering caused by gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) on Friday 21 November.
At noon, the school community paused for a moment of silence and standstill, honouring the victims of violence.
The shutdown was organised by Women For Change (WFC), an organisation combating GBV, to pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa to declare Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF) a national disaster.
On Thursday 20 November, on the eve of the two-day G20 summit, Ramaphosa declared the GBV as a “national crisis.”
“Our junior school and high school joined the national call for change by observing the G20 Women’s Shutdown in solidarity with the movement against gender-based violence in South Africa,” school spokesperson Megan Losper told People’s Post.
Throughout the day, learners participated in age-appropriate programmes, conversations, and activities designed to build awareness, empathy, and respect.
“These initiatives are more than a lesson; they are part of the foundation we set for our young people: to value one another deeply and to speak out against any form of harm or injustice,” she added.
CHSA says they are trauma-informed school and see the impact of these issues related to GBVF on learners.
“We proudly stand alongside those fighting for a safer and more just future for all women and girls. Together, we raise our voices for change,” Losper said.
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