This Beaded Casket in South Africa Is Revealing the Truth About Femicide

A symbolic funeral for 5,578 women, demanding recognition of South Africa’s femicide crisis.

In a powerful act of collective mourning and protest, Women For Change (WFC) unveiled The Unburied Casket, a poignant symbol representing the 5,578 women murdered in South Africa between 2023 and 2024 - a staggering 33.8% increase in femicide within a single year.

Crafted to be 33.8% larger than a standard coffin, the 8 ft long casket is adorned with traditional hand-crafted Zulu beads, each purple bead representing a woman who lost her life.

On the 11th of April, 2025, The Unburied Casket became a vessel of national grief as it was carried through the streets of Pretoria in a hearse and placed at the foothills of the Union Buildings.

Inside it:

- 150,000 petition signatures demanding the GBVF crisis be declared a National Disaster

- A formal memorandum addressed to government

“This is more than just a casket, more than just a symbol. This casket carries the lives of thousands of women. Every purple bead represents a woman who was murdered. Every stitch marks a family torn apart. As we look at this casket, we are forced to unbury the truth that 5,574 women were murdered in just one year.” said Sabrina Walter, spokesperson for Women For Change.

Under public pressure, the memorandum was signed by a government representative.

But The Unburied Casket will remain just that - unburied. Its mission now is to keep the stories of the victims alive. To remind the nation of a truth it once tried to hide. And to ensure that what was buried in silence, stays visible in memory.

For more information or to support the campaign, visit here.