Why this matters
Every day, thousands of South African women and children live in fear of violence. The non-profit organisation Women For Change (WFC) has positioned itself at the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF). Founded in 2016, WFC uses bold advocacy, digital tools and public campaigns to bring visibility and action to a crisis that many believe has been long ignored. Women For Change+2Women For Change+2
For readers of BAAGI News and for anyone seeking a safer, more equitable future for South Africa, this initiative offers hope, urgency and a clear framework for change.
The mission and pillars
Women For Change’s vision is a South Africa in which every woman and child is safe, respected and able to live free from violence. Women For Change+1 The organisation’s work is built on four core pillars:
- Amplifying awareness: exposing how pervasive GBVF is, breaking silence and stigma. Women For Change
- Empowering through education: providing resources, guides and materials to help individuals understand abuse, how to respond and what prevention looks like. Women For Change
- Providing lifesaving support: offering survivors safe spaces, referral services, online platforms and legal/medical aid. Women For Change+1
- Relentless advocacy for justice: pushing for meaningful policy reform, accountability, and the recognition of GBVF as a national disaster. EWN+1
These pillars form the foundation of WFC’s programmes and campaigns across South Africa.
Key recent initiatives
Digital Survivor Support Platform
In October 2025, Women For Change announced the launch of a new Digital Survivor Support Platform, developed with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. Women For Change The platform aims to:
- provide a confidential online space for survivors to report abuse safely
- connect directly with trained community managers
- access trusted legal, emotional and referral services
- include rural and underserved areas that may lack access to traditional support structures
By expanding into digital access, WFC is broadening its reach and closing gaps for those who might otherwise be isolated.
“Safe Women Build Economies” partnership
In August 2025, WFC partnered with the brand AMAZI on a campaign called “Safe Women Build Economies,” aiming to raise funds (R500,000) to support 10,000 survivors through the digital platform. Women For Change The logic: when women feel safe, they can work, learn and contribute fully to the economy, and when they contribute, societies grow stronger.
National mobilization via purple profile pictures
Ahead of the G20 Johannesburg summit, WFC led a campaign encouraging women and allies to change their social-media profiles to purple — a colour symbolising remembrance and strength, and to withdraw labour (paid and unpaid) on a designated day of protest to draw attention to GBVF. EWN This high-visibility move has helped elevate the conversation on GBVF at both national and international levels.
Why this matters for Mogale City and everyday South Africans
Even though much of the focus is national, the implications are local. Communities like those in Mogale City are part of the broader South African reality in which GBVF and systemic violence affect daily life. Through WFC’s work, the message is clear: safety is not optional, and every municipality, neighbourhood, organisation and citizen has a role to play.
For individuals: understanding what constitutes abuse, how to support survivors and how to use available resources.
For families: recognising signs early, opening communication and refusing to normalise violence.
For businesses and local government: recognising that safe women build safe economies, therefore backing programmes, supporting funding, investing in safety infrastructure.
How you can get involved
If you’re looking to support, raise awareness or take action, here are some of WFC’s current calls:
- Volunteer: WFC welcomes people who can contribute marketing, social-media, content, counselling, legal research or fundraising expertise. Women For Change
- Donate or partner: Campaigns like “Safe Women Build Economies” highlight that financial backing amplifies impact.
- Spread the message: Changing a profile to purple, sharing survivor stories or re-posting campaign materials all help raise visibility.
- Use the support services: If you or someone you know is a survivor, access the digital platform when it becomes available, reach out to WFC’s network.
- Engage locally: Contact your local municipality, community forums or safety structures and ask how they link with national advocacy efforts like WFC’s.
The challenge ahead
The statistics are sobering. WFC reports that femicide in South Africa remains “six times higher than the global average” and that thousands of women and children continue to be murdered yearly. Women For Change+1 Recognising the crisis is the first step; sustained, coordinated action across government, civil society and communities is the next.
WFC itself has flagged financial vulnerability, warning that insufficient funding could force operational shutdowns, underscoring how critical support is. Women For Change
Women For Change offers a clear blueprint for how South Africa can confront one of its most urgent humanitarian and social challenges: gender-based violence and femicide. For BAAGI News readers and communities within places like Mogale City, the message is both urgent and actionable: safety, dignity and equality are non-negotiable.
Join the movement. Speak out. Support survivors. Demand justice.