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News

“Society’s perception of beauty is deeply flawed,” says Human Rights Activist

todaySeptember 4, 2025 176

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Photo Credit: Instagram (@naomie.pilula)

Human rights activist, Lebogang Ramafoko, has criticised society distorted standards of beauty, following social media backlash against Zimbabwean lawyer, Naomi Pilula.

Pilula faced a wave of criticism on social media after a selfie she posted went viral, with many users mocking her appearance. The online rage has since sparked broader conversations about beauty, confidence and societal expectations, especially for women.

Ramafoko commended Pilula’s confidence, attributing it to her accomplishments and strength of character.

“Naomi is an accomplished female lawyer which very likely, due to her profession, interacts with many people and her looks have not bothered her or stopped her from achieving as much as she has or from even doing her job,” says Ramafoko.

Ramafoko says Pilula’s refusal to conform has challenged narrow beauty standards and should be applauded.

“I commend Naomi because what she has done is to role model to others that you can you can challenge online bullies. I am really happy that it ended the way that it did with it bringing attention to our very messed up standards as to what is deemed pretty or acceptable on social media,” said Ramafoko.

Despite the hurtful comments, Pilula has stood her ground. She has refused to delete the photos and continues to share more, saying her social media presence is about promoting self-confidence—not conforming to societal beauty standards.

Ramafoko, however, cautioned that the strength and confidence displayed by Pilula is not something everyone can easily replicate.

“This is not for everyone. For some people, every comment they receive on social media matters—especially those who depend on external validation. Many aspire to the visibility others gain through likes and shares, often because they see it being monetised. I don’t believe most people could withstand the kind of backlash Naomi has faced,” she said.

Ramafoko also criticised the culture of cruelty that thrives on social media, attributing it in part to the anonymity the platforms afford.

“I want to caution and say that this is not for everyone. For some people every comment they get on social media, especially those who depend on validation, is something they aspire towards because they see others monetising the attraction of likes. I do not think it could be done by many people,” added Ramafoko.

Ramafoko says because social media is such a faceless platform many users hide behind that anonymity to post derogatory and harmful remarks adding that there’s a lack of accountability.

She further condemned the lack of regulation on online platforms, pointing to the increasing normalization of verbal abuse.

“Online violence has become a reality. The platform has made it very easy and almost acceptable that people would be verbally violent to even strangers that they don’t know,” said Ramafoko.

She further said it’s a problem that such behaviour on public online platforms goes unpunished, urging law makers to revisit cyber law reforms to ensure the safety and wellbeing of online platform users.

Some users on X have also praised Pilula’s resilience.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao

Written by: Nonhlanhla Harris

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