By: Xolile Mtembu| - IOL

Calls are rising for South African employers to grant paid leave to women who want to participate in the Women For Change (WFC) national shutdown on November 21.

Songezo Zibi, the leader of Rise Mzansi, was among those calling for this, saying he supports the initiative.

"WFC is not a partisan organisation and not affiliated with any political party, and is highlighting a critical issue," he said. "South Africa is a violent country, particularly to women and people of the LGBTQI community...The country is too violent for women. This constitutes a crisis, a state of emergency, and we must respond to it as such."

He maintained that men must also take responsibility. "This is not just a woman's problem; it is primarily a societal problem and a man's problem. We must own up to it.

"So, I ask all employers to give all women who want to participate in the shutdown paid leave on that day. They must not take it from their personal leave. It must be paid."

WFC has called for women and LGBTQI+ participants to withdraw all labour, both paid and unpaid, avoid spending money, and take part in a symbolic 15-minute lie-down at noon to represent the number of women murdered every day in South Africa.

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the dire situation, saying women have every reason to be alarmed by the violence they face.

"The GBV and femicide happening in our country is totally unacceptable. Men continue to abuse and kill women. We cannot accept this, and I have full understanding, full empathy with the women of our country," he said.

He urged all citizens to join the fight. "Every individual in the country should participate," he said. "I did during Covid-19 that GBV is another pandemic because during that time, we saw GBV rising to incredibly high levels."

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But WFC criticised his stance as inadequate.

"Mr president, why is it so hard for you to pull this country’s women and children into safety?" they asked. "Why is it so hard to declare GBV for what it truly is, a national disaster? We are not asking for anything extraordinary. We are asking for the right to stay alive."

National rugby captain Siya Kolisi also voiced his support, encouraging a visible show of solidarity.

After the Springboks' victory over Italy, he said: "Thank you for supporting us by wearing green every Friday. I know we have a big femicide problem back home, women and children are in trouble. People normally wear green but now I think we can change it to purple to stand with their women."

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