Stop Violence Against Women
A project of The Advocates for Human Rights
Domestic Violence
General Information Best Practices Law and Policy Ongoing Developments
Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking Overview Training and Advocacy Ongoing Developments Sex Trafficking and Safe Harbor Resource Pack
Sexual Harassment
General Information Training and Advocacy Law and Policy Ongoing Developments
Sexual Assault
General Information Advocacy and Training Law and Policy Ongoing Developments
Other Forms of Violence Against Women
Crimes Committed in the Name of "Honor" Dowry-Related Violence Female Environmental Refugees Female Genital Mutilation Femicide Forced and Early Marriage Forced/Coerced Sterilization Gender-Based Asylum Harmful Practices Indigenous Women Maltreatment of Widows Son Preference Violence Against LGBT Women Violence Against the Girl Child Violence Against Women and HIV/AIDS Women and Armed Conflict Violence Against Women with Disabilities
Russian Site
  1. Home
  2. What's New

South Africa: Human Rights Watch Releases Report on Violence and Discrimination against LGBT Community

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Human Rights Watch has released a report on discrimination and violence against lesbians and transgendered men in 6 South African provinces. Complied from over 120 interviews, the findings show that the LGBT community faces prejudice from both private and public spheres, including from government officials. Moreover, the aggressors have “near-total impunity.”

Almost all respondents said they live in fear of sexual assault. Those who report attacks to the police receive no protection. Instead, survivors are usually revictimized by the police; they are mocked, harassed, and ridiculed. In addition to physical violence, members of the LGBT community face discrimination in education, employment, and social services.

South Africa does have laws and policies written to protect citizens from violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, but the report illustrates that those laws have not been effectively implemented. Furthermore, the few cases of rape which do go to trial almost never cite sexual orientation as a motivating factor for the accused.

Compiled from: A New Report: Human Rights Watch: “We’ll Show You You’re a Woman: Violence and Discrimination Against Black Lesbians and Transgendered Men in South Africa,” AWID: Association for Women’s Rights in Development (07 December 2011); South Africa: LGBT Rights in Name Only?, Human Rights Watch (05 December 2011).

For More Information:

See the Violence Against LGBT Women, Sexual Assault, and the Sexual Assault: Protocols and Policies sections of this website.

lg
md
sm