South Africa: Declare 'Corrective Rape' a Hate-Crime

This is a call to all South Africans who would like to make "Corrective Rape" more punishable. "Corrective Rape" is a term used to describe when a man rapes a lesbian with the aim of 'turning' her heterosexual! This mostly happens in our Townships but it can happen to anyone. We need to support Luleki Sizwe.

Ndumie Funda

Luleki Sizwe is an NGO/NPO formed by Ndumie Funda, the fiancée of a victim of “corrective rape” who died in 2007, to provide support to victims of “corrective rape” and to lobby for the SA Government to do something about this scourge!

The project was named after a close friend of Ndumie’s, Luleka Makiwane, who was raped by her cousin, and died of AIDS as a result of that rape in 2005, and Ndumie’s late fiancée, Nosizwe Nomsa Bizana, who was gang-raped by five men because of her sexuality and died of complications as a direct result of that rape.

 

Hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation are not recognised by South African law

• 31 lesbian women have been murdered because of their sexuality in the last 10 years
• More than 10 lesbians a week are raped or gang raped in Cape Town alone
• South Africa has one of the highest incidences of rape in the world
• 150 women are raped every day in South Africa
• For every 25 men accused of rape in South Africa, 24 walk free

The objectives of Luleki Sizwe are as follows:

• To change the existing negative perception about lesbian, bi-sexual and transsexual (LBT) women in our society
• To support and reach out to lesbians who have been forced from their homes due to their sexual orientation and HIV status
• To educate and empower lesbians about issues such as safe sex, healthy living, health programmes, sport, media, arts/ culture and human rights
• To raise awareness on social issues e.g. rape, sexual assault, discrimination
• To celebrate young and older lesbians through arts, drama and other forms of expression
• To fundraise for different programs
• To create awareness around LBT human rights at a professional and social level

Please go to http://lulekisizwe.wordpress.com/ to read more about this project. Also look at this page http://lulekisizwe.wordpress.com/how-you-can-help/ to see how you can help and make a difference as they need our help and support. 

Also please go sign their petition at www.change.org.