The Herder

The Herder is a series that embodies a quote that I once read. The quote reads:

“The strength of a woman is not measured by the impact that all her hardships in life have had on her, but the strength of a woman is measured by the extent of her refusal to allow those hardships to dictate her and who she becomes.” ― C. JoyBell C. 

There are statistics that suggest that over 35 percent of women worldwide have experienced some form of gender-based violence. Gender-based violence occurs as a result of normative role expectations and unequal power relationships between genders in society. Here in South Africa it is a profound and widespread problem and impacts us on almost all aspects of our daily lives.

I shot the Herder series in the Karoo in the Western Cape of South Africa. The designer of the clothing Kate Pipkin (Ilkhe du Toit) approached me and asked me to help her create a story to represent her clothing and what she stands for. She told me about how she supports women from the community she lives in.

I believe the issue of gender inequality still runs rampant in underprivileged societies, despite the forward-thinking individuals who have leveled the playing field in western nations. With the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I believe this is a timely and sensitive issue that deserves an international spotlight in order to make a change in the countries that need it most.

This series was shot to showcase the power of women and how effective it is if we stand together.