Malaysian influencer and entrepreneur, Pavetraa Reddy (@pavetraa), is under fire after an IGTV video she made was accused by netizens of “victim-blaming”.
In the video, posted last Thursday (22 April), Pavetraa addressed the issue of a 16-year-old victim who reached out to her for help. According to Pavetraa, the victim told her she wanted to kill herself as her nudes have been leaked by her own boyfriend after a fight between them took place.
The ex-Chief Stewardess of Firefly airlines then decided to make a PSA on her Instagram to create awareness about the issue. However, things went south as the points she made caused netizens to call her out for victim-blaming.
Pavetraa started off the video by informing her viewers that she has been handling depression cases for some time now and she wanted to create awareness about this particular incident.
However, Pavetraa dived right in by saying that it is the girl’s fault for sending her nudes in the first place. She then said that not all men are horrible and that girls should open their eyes and identify the bad ones.
“So, this girl’s boyfriend (who is 18-years-old) had her nudes. He would force her to send nudes, and threaten to break up with her if she does not comply. And because she was in love with him, she sent it to him.”
She then said:
“The girl’s side is the wrong side. He asks for nudes, [so] you have to give? Where has your dignity gone? Where is your self-respect?”
“Please stop sharing nudes to your boyfriend or your husbands also. Because never know [what could happen].”
Reactions from netizens & influencers
Pavetraa’s PSA sparked much outrage ever since the video was uploaded on her Instagram. This caused other netizens and influencers to speak up about victim-blaming.
Influencer, make-up artist, and entrepreneur Zuleika Marie Gomez (@vogue.unicorn) made a video to highlight Pavetraa’s video and explained why, in her opinion, the video was considered victim-blaming.
Fellow influencer and content creator Kayshana Nair (@kayshana_nair) told WORLD OF BUZZ:
“In my point of view, I think it is great to be there for other girls so they could let their hearts out and feel better. I felt that there was no need and it is wrong to tell a person what he or she should have done.”
“A person does not need any more blaming. Instead, it’s better to remind them how strong they are for overcoming these challenges, for coping with them, and for having the courage to be in the present.”
Content creator Farah (@sparkleespree) took to her Instagram too to shed light on this matter. Her video garnered over 18,000 views and has been continuously shared by netizens all over social media.
Content creator Suriya Naraayanan (@suriya_17) also made a video to speak up about the matter from a man’s point of view.
Speaking to WORLD OF BUZZ, Suriya said:
“What the narrow-minded ones don’t understand is that those who ask [for nudes] should be blamed first. People will normally blame the girl who sends nude pictures and say that she let it happen.
Here is a question for everyone: If someone is robbed, why is the robber blamed and not the one holding expensive stuff since the expensive stuff was the trigger?
Don’t justify a man’s act by simply blaming the girls, think wisely. Proud to say I’m a man, hope my male community reads and understands.”
Pavetraa’s explanation
WORLD OF BUZZ has reached out to Pavetraa for her statement in regards to the backlash that she is facing today.
“My initial statement was driven to the prevention of this issue. Nudes being viral, and who should be blamed for it is a debatable topic. But, the blame is a question when it has happened.
See, now the reality is that data mining is a fact. A little research will land you on websites that actually have “homemade/hidden camera” porn. Tell me, if there is an industry of this, how many desperate hackers would try and access everyone’s cloud to get media like this to be sold or posted on such websites?
Regardless if you send these kinds of media to your boyfriend, husband, friends, or even to keep it to yourself, the availability of these media in your phone that can easily be synced into the cloud once a week is dangerous enough because it can be accessed by third parties,” Pavetraa told WORLD OF BUZZ.
“My point is, instead of having the debate on who is wrong after the incident, we could focus more on the prevention. Why can’t ladies demand not to send a xerox (a copy of something that has been written or printed on a piece of paper) of their body? Why does a man need a reference for his partner’s naked body in his phone? If we prevent the recording, no one will have the access to exploit it,” Pavetraa explained.
She added:
“My whole intention has been directed to something else. Some of them are calling it a ‘victim blame’. I don’t understand how. I never said or leaked anything about her. It was her story, she came to me seeking for advice and motivation which I usually do to my followers if they are feeling down.
I post stories every time saying ‘talk to me if you feel lonely, I’m here for you’. I don’t mind talking to strangers at any cost or time. I don’t want them to feel depressed or end their life. It was not for fame or money.
To be honest, I didn’t receive a single cent from anyone for this. But, it’s a self-satisfaction to see someone happy and motivated when they put the phone down. This young girl was mature enough to ask me to share this story among these people so that no one could go through what she’s been through. She said ‘if I didn’t send any nudes before, this whole thing might not have happened’.”
When asked what her thoughts were on the phrase “why just educate women and not men?”, Pavetraa explained:
“When women educate men, they can only hope, but when women empower women, that’s a real change. That’s what I believe.
Have we not been educating men enough? Aren’t all mothers doing the same thing? This has been happening for years. Has it worked? No. They are still begging for nudes.
The power is in our hands to stop recording and stop giving them the nudes. The damage at the end is on the girls.”
What are your thoughts on this controversial topic? Let us know in the comment section below!
Also Read: “Why don’t you come naked?” 23yo Shares How Male Teacher Used To Sexually Harass Her
