Femicide is a phenomenon that affects many women and girls worldwide. Driven by gender-based discrimination, unequal power relations, gender stereotypes, and harmful social norms, this form of violence has reached epidemic proportions. Globally, the issue is responsible for taking the lives of 85,000 women in 2023, that is a life claimed every 10 minutes.
South Africa is one of the most severely affected countries, experiencing some of the highest rates in the world. According to SAPS Crime Statistics from April 2023 to March 2024, the country’s femicide rates rose by 33.8% compared to the previous year. Even though the National Strategic Plan on Gender-based Violence and Femicide National (NSP GBVF) was adopted in parliament in 2020, there has been a lack of urgency in implementing the plan. As a result, South Africa faces the highest femicide rates to date.
To make the issue visible and push the South African government to declare the phenomenon a national disaster, the non-profit organization Women For Change (WFC) joined forces with Edelman agency, and launched the “Unburied Casket,” a campaign centered on a coffin that’s intentionally larger compared to a typical one.
“On Friday, 11 April 2025, we stood together at the Union Buildings – not just as activists, survivors, and organisations — but as a united force of hope, courage, and determination. Surrounded by powerful women, supportive men, and brave children, we rose not in anger, but in love for justice. Together, we handed over our memorandum and petition, signed by over 150,000 individuals, to Ms Mmapaseka Steve Letsike, Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities,” said Sabrina Walter, Founder & Executive Director of Women For Change.
The petition wasn’t delivered in a traditional manner, which is in a folder. Instead, the organization chose to “exhume” the country’s femicide crisis via a custom-made coffin. Designed to be 33.8% larger than a standard one, the size was deliberately created this way to reflect the significant 33.8% increase in femicide over the past year.
Decorated with 5,578 woven African beads, each of the purple beads represents a woman whose life has tragically ended. Inside the casket, the organization placed pictures of the victims alongside its memorandum and the signed petition. The campaign is backed up by a video documenting the initiative. Complementing it is a microsite, which users can visit to discover the stories of the victims.
The government had 30 days to issue a statement. Sadly, “there has been no formal response to our demands to declare GBVF a National Disaster. As the founder of Women For Change, I cannot hide how deeply exhausted and heartbroken I feel. Fighting this monster of Gender-Based Violence and Femicide every day takes everything from you — your energy, your peace, your spirit,” explained Walter in a LinkedIn post.
Since the handover on April 11 and up until four days ago, when the founder published the post, more than 40 cases of femicide and child murders had already been reported on the organization’s platforms. As shared by Walter, there have been no arrests or the perpetrator has already been released on bail in most of these cases.
CREDITS
Brand: Women For Change
Agency: Edelman
