#TheTotalShutdown: Marchers speak of protecting, empowering victims

Hundreds of women, dressed in black and red, are marching against violence and abuse. 

Women and non-gender conforming people, waving placards bearing the words, "Stop Rape," and, "I Am Not Your Crime Scene," will make their way to City Hall, where a memorandum of demands will be handed over to officials.  

One of the many women taking part in the march says there are times when victims regret speaking up. 

"The perpetrator must be arrested immediately. Sometimes, we as victims end up feeling like the perpetrators because when you go to court - they ask you very revealing and shameful questions. They make you doubt yourself," one woman said.  

One issue at the heart of today's national protests is the efficacy of protection orders. 

The organisers of the #TotalShutdown campaign say they want government to introduce an automated national registry for protection orders. This means that every man or woman, who has a protection order against them, should be named in a public registry. 

Brenda Madumise, who helped put the document together, says the country's protection order system is failing abuse victims.

"One of the things we have observed over the years is that some of these protection orders disappear. So, you think you have a protection order - but when we check the system, the police say to you they don't think it's a legitimate protection order that has been issued so they can't do anything about it. This automated system is to really ensure that there's no corruption in the protection order system," Madumise said. 

The nationwide strike will see demonstrators in Pretoria head towards the Union Buildings today.