The University of the Free State stands in solidarity with the Women for Change G20 Women's Shutdown – a powerful call to action on the eve of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. We agree that, as our nation prepares to host the world's most powerful leaders to discuss economic growth and development, we cannot remain silent while a woman is murdered in South Africa every 2½ hours.

The University supports the 15-minute demonstration on all three of our campuses – the Bloemfontein, Qwaqwa, and South Campuses – at 12 noon on Friday, 21 November, because we believe that universities must be spaces where conscience is allowed to speak and where justice is demanded. Our support for this initiative is rooted in our conviction that academic institutions have a moral imperative to confront societal crises that threaten the dignity and lives of communities.

This support aligns fundamentally with the UFS North Star of creating responsible societal futures. We cannot claim to be building a better tomorrow while ignoring the violence that devastates our communities today. Responsible societal futures require us to recognise gender-based violence and femicide for what they are: a national crisis that demands immediate, sustained action. It requires us to raise our collective voice and insist that conversations about economic progress should not ignore the unacceptably high rate of murdered women and LGBTQI+ individuals in our country.

As an institution committed to social justice, transformation, and the well-being of all members of our society, the UFS recognises that silence is complicity. We support our students, staff, and communities by saying loud and clear: there can be no meaningful progress, no legitimate claim to stability or growth, while violence against women and the LGBTQI+ community is not treated as the national emergency that it is.

May this shutdown awaken the urgency that this tragedy demands.

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