Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD)

The aims of the Division of Sexuality and Gender of PsySSA:

We are a dynamic, responsive, and innovative hub for mental health professionals who adopt a critical, decolonial, intersectional, feminist, and anti-racist approach to working with all clients and communities who have made South Africa their home.
Cognisant that all sexual and gender identities and practices intersect with the power dynamics of class, culture, race, ability, age, education and origin (among others), we aim to:

• Honour the centrality of sexuality and gender as drivers and shapers of the human experience throughout its lifespan;
• Promote more critical and affirmative thinking about the mosaic of sexualities and genders present in all communities and societies;
• Focus on the lived and intersecting experiences of sexual and gender “majorities” and “minorities” and how they illuminate systems of power, inclusion and exclusion;
• Promote affirmative practice in all psychology-related activities, including relevant continuing professional development;
• Advance critical and reflexive scientific research;
• Respond to related national, continental, and international issues and concerns with social accountability.

These aims are realised through three key focal areas:

Firstly, we explore sexual and gender diversity by promoting understanding and acceptance of sexual and gender diversity; advocating for social justice for LGBTIQA+ (queer) persons; and advancing a deeper understanding of how human sexualities and the gender system affect all individuals and societies.

Secondly, we advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) by promoting access to SRHR for all, lobbying for the inclusion of sexually and gender-diverse people in SRHR policies and services; supporting access to Comprehensive Sexualities Education (CSE) in schools; promoting healthy sexual relationships of all forms; and destigmatising less conventional sexualities and relationship forms.

Thirdly, we oppose all forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) by supporting theory development and research that contributes to understanding and mitigating SGBV in South Africa; promoting support for survivors of SGBV through a social justice, feminist and intersectional lens; and advancing understandings of masculinities and hetero-cis-patriarchy and their contribution to SGBV.

In sum, we work toward a just, transformed, and equitable profession and society that celebrates the full spectrum of sexualities and gender, where everyone can thrive.

History of the development of the SGD

The above objectives should be seen against the origins and development of the SGD. The division developed from a collaborative project between PsySSA and APA (the American Psychological Association). PsySSA is a member of the International Network for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Concerns and Transgender Issues in Psychology (INET, now called IPsyNET), that is hosted by the APA.

IPsyNet is composed of national, multinational and international psychological associations. “The vision of IPsyNet is that psychological organisations are effective leaders in ensuring that all persons fully enjoy health and human rights, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics, by incorporating the goals of celebrating and valuing the full range of human diversity, including diversity in gender, sexual orientation, and sex, into their structure, programmes, and activities (IPsyNet, 2013).”

Accordingly, PsySSA and the SGD adhere to a psychology that is affirmative of sexual and gender diversity. This includes the recognition of various sexualities and gender identities as normal variations of human sexuality and not per se as the cause of psychological difficulties or pathology. Contextual awareness is emphasised, including an understanding of how aspects such as homo- and transphobia, heterosexism, prejudice and stigma impact on mental health and well-being.

Furthermore, the SGD therefore acknowledges the intersections between sexuality, gender and other forms of difference such as race and class. It aims to promote a critical psychology of sexuality and gender that goes beyond a focus on sex/gender differences to a consideration of how such differences are produced, reproduced and normalised through exclusionary and oppressive practices and mechanisms.

Recent Work and Professional Activism

Evidence of our recent work, professional activism, and commitment to a “public psychology” can be found in:

• The development and launch of the Second Edition of the Practice Guidelines for Psychology Professionals Working with Sexually and Gender-Diverse People, in collaboration with the African LGBTQIA+ Human Rights Project, which formed part of our commitment to advancing ethical, inclusive, and affirming psychological practice across the continent. This was accompanied by a series of training workshops on affirmative practice delivered to master’s-level psychology students and social workers within the Department of Social Development.
• The development and launch of the Toolkit for Mental Health Providers Working with Survivors of Conversion Practices in Africa, supported by Outright International, which was accompanied by an e-learning training programme aimed at mental health practitioners across the continent. This work contributed to the development of the Johannesburg Declaration opposing conversion practices.
• In partnership with PsySSA, acting as an amicus curiae in the matter of the Embrace Project and Others V Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and Others. In the first stage of the case, the Johannesburg High Court declared the “subjective consent” defence to a charge of rape unconstitutional, a defence in which a perpetrator can claim they believed the victim consented, even when this belief is unreasonable. The matter now awaits a ruling from the Constitutional Court. Our contribution has brought to the attention of the court the science of peri-traumatic responses to sexual assault and the role of power disparities in sexual consent negotiations.
• Our work on access to gender-affirming care for trans and gender-diverse people includes active collaboration with the Professional Association for Transgender Health South Africa (PATHSA) and Gender DynamiX (GDX) to develop strategies that counter the growing influence of the anti-gender movement in South Africa. We have also provided representation at the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), contributing to global conversations on evidence-based standards of care and the protection of trans health and human rights. In addition, we are engaged in developing the forthcoming World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines on trans and gender diversity, scheduled for release in 2026. We continue to support and endorse the South African HIV Clinicians Society’s guidelines on gender-affirming healthcare, available here.
• Our representation on the International Psychology Network for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex Issues (IPsyNet), which reflects our ongoing commitment to global engagement in affirming psychological practice. Members of the SGD also served on the IPsyNet policy committee to help finalise an international position statement on conversion practices. In addition, we have engaged with key psychology professionals in Nigeria to encourage their participation in IPsyNet.

If our values, work, and advocacy resonate with you, we invite you to join the Sexuality and Gender Division and become part of a growing community committed to transforming psychology in South Africa and beyond.