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BOX 1.5Gender stereotypes and punishment for nonconformity: The case of ‘corrective’ rape inSouth AfricaWomen and girls with nonconforming sexual identities, including lesbian, gay, bisexual andtransgender (LGBT) women, frequently face emotional, verbal, sexual and physical abuse, andeven murder, as well as denial of employment, education, health and other basic rights. ‘Corrective’rape, a practice used to punish nonconforming women and girls, ostensibly to ‘cure’ their sexualpreferences, is a particularly appalling example of such abuse.South Africa has been a pioneer in the constitutional recognition of LGBT rights, but these rightscontinue to be widely violated. Women and girls who transgress social and cultural norms onsexuality, or who do not conform to dominant prescriptions on how women ‘should act’ and whatthey ‘should look like’ are frequently targeted. Lesbians who are poor, black and live in townshipsare at particular risk. LGBT support groups claim that 10 new cases of ‘corrective’ rape occur everyweek in Cape Town alone. Many cases go undocumented due to the perception among victims thatthe criminal justice system is unresponsive. More than 31 lesbians were murdered in South Africabetween 1998 and 2009, but only one of these cases resulted in a conviction.NGO and LGBT activists have criticized the Government for failing to uphold its constitutionalobligations to prevent and prohibit these crimes. In response to their demands and a petition with170,000 signatures from 163 countries, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Developmentestablished a National Task Team in 2011 to devise a strategy for combating the problem. TheTask Team developed the National Intervention Strategy (2014–2017), which takes a multi-sectoralapproach by introducing prevention programmes, enhancing criminal justice system responses andstrengthening institutional capacity to address and prevent such forms of violence. Civil society andnon-governmental organizations, and activist groups are currently monitoring the implementationof these measures. Meanwhile, concerns remain regarding the need for greater public education toaddress underlying discriminatory attitudes. 126the state of Victoria in Australia, for example, inwhat is widely seen as a ‘best practice’, high-levelleadership in government and the police agencyitself have been key to positive changes in the wayservices deal with the issue. Other critical factorshave been: training on violence against women forpolice at all levels; the adoption of performancemeasures related to increased numbers of chargesand prosecutions and reduced rates of repeatoffending; and a shift from ‘criminal justice’ modelsto a broader approach of providing referralsand support to victims. Central to the success ofthese changes has been the expertise and adviceprovided by women’s organizations working onviolence against women. 127Women’s activism has also played a fundamentalrole in the recognition, in international normsand agreements, of violence against womenas a human rights violation and form of51