S.African firms urged to act against gender-based violence

They've come from all over Johannesburg.

Hundreds of mainly female protesters, calling for an end to gender-based violence in South Africa.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTESTER, ROBYN PORTEOUS, SAYING:

"Obviously every woman in some shape or form has been touched by violence. I myself was raped when I was 18. And it wasn't by someone anyone would have warned me against. It was by the head boy of a school. And he got 10 A's in matric (final year of high school). And he's gone on to live a perfectly happy, successful life no matter what I had to say about it."

(SOUNDBITE) (English) GENDER ACTIVIST, NOMAHONI LIMAKO, SAYING:

"Most of the time we are forgotten. They don't talk about us, they don't talk about our struggles as women with disability."

There's been an outcry over violence against women across South Africa in recent weeks, following the rape and murder of 19 year-old university student Uyinene Mrwetyana, who was attacked at a post office in Cape Town.

This demonstration, held outside the Johannesburg Stock Exchange on Friday (September 13), called on listed companies to do more.

Including amending their sexual harassment policies and contributing at least 2% of annual earnings to addressing the large-scale problem.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) PROTEST ORGANIZER, NONHLE SKOSANA, SAYING:

"You've got the money, we know you have the money. So do what you need to do in order to help us fight gender-based violence in this country."

Around 3,000 women were murdered in South Africa in 2018, five times higher than the global average, according to the World Health Organization.

It amounts to one death, every three hours.