A TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD commercial model has criticised the abuse suffered by young women in the modelling industry.
Lucia Mazhou, known as Lucy Bardie in the modelling circles, is also a video vixen.
“Being a woman in the modelling industry is not easy. I have been labelled a prostitute quite a number of times because of my profession, but it never put me down.
“I have also worked without getting paid and at one point I went for an event where we were starved and there was no payment.
“We had to organise our own transport from the camp site and we were promised to be reimbursed, but that never happened.
“We could not report the issue as we had not signed any contracts and that is when I realised the importance of a contract.
“I have also joined agencies which failed to deliver on their promises, this made me opt for freelancing,” she said.
Lucia Mazhou
Lucy Bardie said abuse is rampant in the industry.
“Abuse has been rampant in the industry, but people just do not talk about it. I have come across young women who are sexually abused because they were given a job opportunity.
“Most of these young women do not talk about it because of fear of judgement, while others do not know who to tell.
“In modelling agencies, the issue of abuse is common where some even go to the extent of opening agencies just to get ‘mababy’.
“If modelling is run the right way, it helps the girl child to increase her confidence.
“It has helped me regain my confidence and be more comfortable with my body. Despite the downsides of it, young women can earn a living and are able to support themselves,” she added.
hmetro
