Masculinity crisis? The nature and origins of sexual violence and corrective rape in South Africa

South Africa has long been regarded as Africa’s leading advocate of gender and sexuality rights. A vibrant civil society and a democratic post-apartheid constitution have created the impetus for anti-discriminatory laws and practices that have impacted broader society. Despite this, South Africa struggles to reduce the gap between the realisation of rights on paper and the everyday exercising of the rights of all people, irrespective of sexual orientation and gender identity. A major challenge facing the country has been high levels of sexual violence, including ‘corrective’ rape which is directed towards predominantly women in same-sex relationships. This reality raises questions about violent masculinities, heteronormative and masculine displays of power, and efforts to coerce, violate and ‘correct’ women deemed to be transgressing gendered binaries and boundaries. The chapter draws attention to historical and socio-cultural dynamics as well as judicial responses. Addressing the problem of corrective rape, as with sexual violence more generally, requires the mobilisation of various interest groups and support networks to build effective and meaningful interventions.