Lesbian women in South Africa are being raped by men who believe it will “cure” them of their sexual orientation.

Women in townships in Johannesburg and Cape Town are reporting a rising tide of brutal homophobic attacks and murders and the widespread use of “corrective” rape as a form of punishment.

Rape is fast becoming the most widespread hate crime targeted against gay women in townships across South Africa. One lesbian and gay support group says it is dealing with 10 new cases of lesbian women being targeted for “corrective” rape every week in Cape Town alone.

“This guy he wanted to go out with my girlfriend so one day he picked me up with a crew of his gangster friends, they took me off the street and to an abandoned place where they beat me with a spanner and did whatever they wanted… All the time they were telling me this is what happens when a woman pretends to be a man.” Tshidi, 31, Cape Town.

Violence against women is one of the worst human rights abuses in the world. Join us in speaking out this International Women's Day.