The Centre for Human Rights (Centre), Faculty of Law, University of Pretoria, is convening a conference on sexual and gender minority rights in Africa under the theme Preventing and eradicating conversion practices in Africa. The conference aims to bring together scholars and activists to share perspectives and strategies towards preventing and eradicating conversion practices in Africa. The conference will be held in a hybrid format on 5 - 6 December 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa. It is anticipated that papers presented at the conference will be reworked by authors and submitted to be part of an edited book on strategies to prevent and eradicate conversation practices in Africa.

Background

Sexual and gender minorities in Africa continue to face serious human rights violations in different forms. An enduring form of human rights violation against sexual and gender minorities is conversion practices. Conversion practices broadly refer to any treatment, practice or sustained effort that aims to change, alter, or repress a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. Conversion practices also include the enactment of laws and policies aimed at eliminating or deterring sexual diversity with the view of creating heterosexuality as the only form of human sexuality.

Conversation practices are generally based on the misconception that human sexuality and gender identities are not diverse, which manifests in certain narratives such as sexual and gender minorities choosing their sexual orientation or gender identity, or that sexual and gender minorities suffer from a psychological, spiritual or pathological ‘illness’ which can be ‘cured’. Conversion practices are therefore seen as a legitimate innervation to sexual diversity.   In this regard, conversation practices take many forms such as the following:

1. Sexual assault, or threat of sexual assault, including forms of forced penetration, unwanted touching of genitalia, etc.
2. Beatings.
3. Laying of hands or exorcisms, and other such religious or cultural processes involving physical aspects done out without consent.
4. Forced starvation and castration.
5. Restriction of freedom of movement such as being detained in homes, dwelling, or other location, and exposed to materials for the purposes of coercing a change in the expression of sexuality or gender identity, such as the forced viewing of heterosexual pornography, etc.
6. Any other form of violence that may constitute torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.
7. Economic violence, such as the forced withholding of bank cards or cash funds for dependants.
8. Medical intervention through drugs, including forced surgeries on intersex persons.
9. Enactment or retention of laws and policies against sexual and gender minorities such criminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults.

Conversion practices have been in existence for a long time with some of the earliest accounts recorded in the late 19^th century when psychiatrists, general medical practitioners, and psychologists labelled homosexuality as a medical condition that could be cured. In 1899, for instance, Albert von Schrenck-Notzing pioneered a hypnosis procedure which he claimed would cure homosexuality. In 1920, Eugen Steinach, an Austrian Endocrinologist claimed that homosexuality was rooted in male gentalia which led to the castration of gay men as a ‘cure’. Sigmund Freud theorised that homosexuality was a mental disorder that could be cured through psychotherapy. These and other theories and misconceptions about human sexuality have been disproved and, as such, in 1990 the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially removed homosexuality from its list of mental and physical illnesses. Despite this milestone decision by WHO, conversion practices continue and have taken new forms in Africa, as earlier highlighted.  The rise of anti-rights rhetoric has contributed to incidences of conversion practices in Africa. Homophobic laws, such as the criminalisation of consensual same-sex sexual conduct between adults further fuel conversion practices and the intention behind their enactment is also a form of conversion practice. One way to combat conversion practices in Africa is through effectively implementing and using Resolutions 275 and 552 of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Relying on national constitutional, legal and policy frameworks, instruments and resolutions in the African human rights system, the upcoming conference seeks to examine strategies for preventing and eradicating conversion practices in Africa.

Participants 

The conference seeks to bring together stakeholders interested in promoting the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Africa, including sexual and gender minority rights activists, scholars, social scientists, health practitioners, policymakers, lawyers, media practitioners, religious and/or traditional leaders, and human rights defenders. 

Possible topics to consider

Grounded on the need to prevent and eradicate conversion practices in Africa towards the greater protection of the rights of sexual and gender minorities, possible topics to consider include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Countering the implementation of homophobic laws such as the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda and Ghana as a form of conversion practice.
• Strategic litigation as a tool for combating or eradicating conversion practices.
• Identifying country-context forms of conversion practices and strategies on how to prevent or eradicate them.
• Media strategies for preventing or eradicating conversion practices.
• Using Resolutions 275 and 552 as a tool to prevent, combat or eradicate conversion practices in Africa or within specific country contexts.
• How ally-parliamentarians can be mobilised to repeal homophobic laws and policies which fuel conversion practices in Africa.
• The role of health care professionals, including mental health care practitioners and researchers in preventing and/or eradicating conversion practices in Africa.
• The effects or negative impact of conversion practices on the rights of sexual and gender minorities in Africa.
• The role of National Human Rights Institutions in preventing or eradicating conversion practices.
• The role of religious and/or traditional leaders in preventing, and eradicating conversation practices.

As part of underscoring the importance of multi-sectoral responses and partnerships in the production of knowledge, we particularly encourage joint abstracts between scholars, policymakers and sexual and gender minority rights organisations. 

Submission specifications 

Abstracts should be sent in English or French with a word length of 400-450 words in MS Word format (not PDF). 

Abstracts must include in a single document: 

1. Title of abstract 
2. Author’s name 
3. Affiliation 
4. E-mail address 

Abstracts must be sent by email to landilani.banda@up.ac.za copying tholoana.mosia@up.ac.za with the subject ‘Submission of Abstract: Conversion practices in Africa’.

Submission deadline for Abstracts: 15 October 2024. 
Authors will be notified by 30 October 2024 whether their abstract has been accepted for presentation at the upcoming conference. 

Submission deadline for Presentations: 30 November 2024. 
Authors whose abstracts are accepted will be required to submit their full presentations by 30 November 2024.  

All queries regarding the papers should be directed to ch.vanderlinde@up.ac.za or tholoana.mosia@up.ac.za

Funding
The Centre will cover the cost for flights, accommodation and meals during the conference.

All general queries regarding the conference should be directed to ch.vanderlinde@up.ac.za  or tholoana.mosia@up.ac.za.