Raised in a small township of Mbekweni in Paarl, South Africa, Andile Rada tells his stories through photography. In his latest body of work, Rada explores the phenomenon of slut-shaming. This form of social stigma is placed on women or girls who are believed to have violated traditional expectations of sexuality. Women and girls who are targeted are often bullied, ridiculed and attacked.
Slut-shaming has gained momentum in the digital age. Social media has allowed perpetrators to hide behind pseudonyms, attack in groups and invade the victim’s life.
“We embrace or judge what we see in front of us but don't think about the people involved and how they feeling and going through,” says Rada. “With The pictures I tried to make them very personal, paying attention to the affected being.”
For now, Rada has released three images in the series with the aim of using the rest of his work in an anti-slut shaming campaign. “I hope to touch and change people's lives, change people's mindsets,” he says.
His pictures tell the story of a woman who was betrayed by her lover when he posted her private pictures on social media. Scourned and judged by her community, the woman felt trapped within her own body.
