South Africa Responds to ‘Corrective’ Rape Campaign with National Task Team | Change.org News

South Africa Responds to ‘Corrective’ Rape Campaign with National Task Team

by Benjamin Joffe-Walt · 2011-05-04 04:16:00 UTC

Topics:

• Africa ·
• Democracy ·
• Gay Rights ·
• Hate Crimes ·
• Womens Rights

show more

Share352

39retweet

South African government sets up task team to tackle hate crimes against LGBT South Africans in response to a 170,000-strong Change.org campaign calling for action on ‘corrective’ rape.

South Africa’s Ministry of Justice is establishing a national task team to address hate crimes against LGBT South Africans after 170,000 activists from around the world demanded action on ‘corrective’ rape, the increasingly common hate crime in which men rape lesbian women to 'turn' them straight or 'cure' them of their sexual orientation.

The decision came yesterday during a meeting at the South African Parliament of senior government and police officials with grassroots activists, who used the US-based social action platform Change.org to recruit a record-breaking 170,000 supporters from people in 163 countries. It follows the murder of Noxolo Nogwaza, a 24-year-old lesbian who was stoned, stabbed with broken glass and gang raped 10 days ago in a black township outside Johannesburg. Used condoms, a beer bottle and a large rock were all found on or beside her body.

The task team, which will formally begin its deliberations on July 15, will include six government representatives from the South African judiciary and police and six representatives of the LGBT community. The team will be charged with developing a legislative intervention plan, a public awareness strategy, and LGBT sensitive shelters.

High resolution photos for media use can be downloaded here.

“I acknowledge the response from the government,” said Ndumie Funda, founder of Luleki Sizwe, an organisation that advocates for the rights of township lesbians. “It shows that they are willing to work with the gay community, but we continue to fight for LGBT rights until the last drops of blood are spilled.”

Intervention options discussed at the meeting included:
*amending the sexual offences act so as to include sexual orientation as an aggravating factor, which would lead to heavier sentences.
*as a preventative measure, allowing the use of magistrates courts as equality courts to address any harassment, discrimination or hate speech.
*consultations on the minimum sentences for hate crimes, inclusive of rape on the basis of sexual orientation.
*emphasizing the need for sensitivity around LGBT cases in the service charter for victims of crime.
*sensitivity training for the South African police, justice ministry and National Prosecutors Office.

What this campaign has accomplished is remarkable: in less than six months, a tiny group of township activists have mobilized more than 170,000 people from 163 countries and gotten the highest levels of government to address their basic demand: that crimes like the sadistic murder of Noxolo Nogwaza 10 days ago be taken seriously.

It has been an honor to support this campaign, and hopefully the government’s response will prevent tragedies like this in the future.

For exclusive quotes, media can contact us at press@change.org. High resolution photos for media use can be downloaded here.

Change.org is the world’s fastest-growing platform for social change — growing by more than 300,000 new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.

Benjamin Joffe-Walt is a Change.org editor. He is an award-winning journalist and has written extensively on human rights issues in the US, Africa and the Middle East

via news.change.org