On Friday, 21 November 2025, South Africa will pause for a powerful moment of collective solidarity: the G20 Women’s Shutdown. This national action calls attention to the devastating reality of gender-based violence (GBV) in our country — a crisis so severe that it impacts every community, every workplace, and every home.

At Lush South Africa, we believe in using our platform to advocate for safety, dignity, and justice. This year, we’re standing with women across South Africa in two meaningful ways: a 15-minute store-wide lie-down, and a soap donation initiative that delivers real, immediate care to women in shelters.

South Africa’s G20 Women’s Shutdown is a coordinated national action that invites individuals, communities, and workplaces to stop what they are doing at 12:00 noon and participate in a 15-minute lie-down.
This symbolic act reflects the weight of the violence women in South Africa carry every single day.

Here are the core intentions behind the Shutdown:

1. To Acknowledge the National Crisis

Every 2.5 hours, a woman is murdered in South Africa - a statistic that continues to shock, devastate, and demand urgent national intervention. The Shutdown is a direct call to recognise GBV as the national disaster it is.

2. To Create a Visible, Public Moment of Protest

By lying down in silence for 15 minutes, participants represent the women whose voices have been silenced by violence. This shared stillness becomes a public act of remembrance, resilience, and resistance.

3. To Call for Action From Leaders and Institutions

The movement highlights the need for:

• Stronger protective measures

• Proper funding of shelters

• Swift prosecution of offenders

• Accessible reporting systems

• Safer communities, workplaces, and public spaces

4. To Support Survivors Through Community Solidarity

The Shutdown is not only a protest, it is a promise to show up for survivors, to stand beside them, and to demand change collectively.

All South Africans are invited to participate, whether at home, at work, on campuses, or in public spaces. This Friday is a moment to raise our voices by lying still.

How can I join?

1. Join the 15 minute lie down at 12pm  - to honour the 15 women murdered every day and bring South Africa to a complete standstill.

2. Wear Black to stand in mourning and resistance 

3.Change your profile picture to purple to make the Shutdown visible online.

4.Don’t work. No paid or unpaid labour.

5.Don’t spend money and withdraw from the economy for one day.

6.Share. Share. Share. Make the Shutdown impossible to ignore. #WomenShutdown

For information visit: Women for Change

How Lush South Africa Is Participating

💜 1. Join Us for the 15-Minute Lie-Down

At 12:00 on Friday, teams in all Lush stores will pause and lie down for 15 minutes in solidarity.
Our stores will remain open as safe, welcoming spaces for anyone who wishes to participate with us.

You are invited to join us in-store — all are welcome, always.

💜 2. Purchase a Slice of Soap for Donation

To turn solidarity into tangible support, we are offering a Slice of Soap for Donation, sold at cost price.
Each slice purchased will be donated directly to a local women’s shelter, providing:

• A moment of comfort

• A sense of dignity

• A small piece of care during an incredibly difficult time

These shelters provide refuge, counselling, safety, and a path forward — and they rely heavily on community support.

💜 3. We’re Matching Every Single Donation

For every slice you donate, Lush South Africa will donate another.

• Buy 1 → We donate 2

• Buy 10 → We donate 20

Together, we can double the care, double the comfort, and double the impact.

Where is the soap being donated to?

Support them here

A Small Gesture. A Real Impact.

The Women’s Shutdown asks us to stop, reflect, and demand change.
Our soap donation initiative adds a layer of direct support to those who need it most.

This Friday, we stand together.
We lie down together.
We raise our voices together.
And we care together.

Thank you for joining us.
Thank you for supporting women.
Thank you for standing with survivors.