Sexuality and Gender Division

Advancing dignity, inclusion and psychological wellbeing across sexuality and gender.

Introduction

The Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD) provides a professional home for critical engagement with sexuality and gender across psychology, mental health and society. The Division brings together mental health professionals and others committed to critical, decolonial, intersectional, feminist and anti-racist approaches to working with the diverse individuals and communities who have made South Africa their home.

Recognising that sexuality and gender intersect with class, culture, race, ability, age, education, origin and other dimensions of human experience, SGD works toward psychological knowledge and practice that are affirmative, socially accountable and responsive to context.

Featured Initiative

Practice Guidelines For Psychology Professionals Working With Sexually And Gender-Diverse People (2nd Ed.)

Since science and practice evolve, these guidelines are an updated consolidation of best practice evidence in South African and international psychology as it pertains to understanding sexual and gender diversity. The umbrella term of ‘sexual and gender diversity’ includes, but is not limited to, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and/or asexual (LGBTQIA+).

About the Division

Who we are

The Sexuality and Gender Division is a community of professionals committed to understanding sexuality and gender as central dimensions of human experience across the lifespan.

The Division promotes critical and affirmative approaches to the diversity of sexualities and genders, while recognising how lived experiences are shaped by wider systems of power, inclusion and exclusion. Its work considers the intersections between sexuality, gender and other dimensions of difference and promotes reflexive, socially accountable psychological research and practice.

Division Constitution

View Constitution

What we do

SGD’s work centres on three focal areas:

Sexual and Gender Diversity: Promoting understanding and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity, advocating for social justice for LGBTIQA+ people, and advancing understanding of how sexualities and gender affect individuals and societies.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Promoting access to SRHR, inclusion of sexually and gender-diverse people in relevant policies and services, access to Comprehensive Sexualities Education, healthy sexual relationships, and the destigmatisation of less conventional sexualities and relationship forms.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Supporting research and theory that contribute to understanding and mitigating SGBV, promoting support for survivors through social justice, feminist and intersectional perspectives, and advancing understanding of masculinities and hetero-cis-patriarchy in relation to SGBV.

Across these areas, the Division also advances affirmative psychological practice, critical and reflexive research, continuing professional development and socially accountable responses to national, continental and international issues.

Membership

Why Join This Division

Joining SGD provides an opportunity to become part of a professional community engaged with sexuality and gender across psychological research, practice, education and advocacy.

Members can connect with others working in the field, access research and professional development opportunities, contribute to training and public engagement, and participate in a community concerned with advancing affirmative and socially accountable psychology in South Africa and beyond.

Membership Benefits

Members may benefit from:

Referral Network: Access to a secure database supporting professional referrals, including private-practice referrals.
Research and Professional Updates: Communications about current research, scholarship, CPD opportunities and workshops relating to sexuality and gender.
Professional Development: Opportunities to participate in CPD and related learning activities.
Contribute to Training: Opportunities for members to contribute to training and professional development activities.
Public Engagement: Opportunities to contribute to responses to current issues, including media statements and blog writing.
Research and Scholarship: Access to current research and scholarship relevant to the Division’s work.
Professional Community: Opportunities to connect with others working in the field and participate in a community with shared professional interests and commitments.