South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality has said it will seek compensation for HIV positive women who were sterilised without their consent or were pressured to agree.

The commission on Tuesday released a report following an investigation into 15 state hospitals on forced or coerced sterilisation of 50 women.

The report has been referred to the South African Nursing Council and the department of health.

The health department has been told to report back to the commission in three months on steps it has taken to deal with the unethical practice.

During investigations, which began in 2015, the commission found that the women were subjected to “cruel, torturous and inhumane treatment” by doctors.

The survivors detailed horrific experiences of how forced sterilisation impacted their lives. Some said they lost their partners because they could no longer have more children.