New Delhi: By extending the requirements for participants, the yearly international beauty pageant Miss Universe has taken a step toward inclusivity. Beginning in 2023, a participant's eligibility will no longer be impacted by their married or parental status. The general public responded favourably to the decision.
"We all agree that women should have agency over their life and that a person's personal decisions should not be a barrier to their achievement," according to revelations from an internal Miss Universe pageant memo.
We all agree that women should have agency over their life and that a person's personal decisions should not be a barrier to their achievement, according to revelations from an internal Miss Universe pageant memo.
What Were The Previous Requirements?
As of right now, one has to be single to be eligible to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. Pregnancy was also prohibited until the championship was secured. Thus, it indirectly excluded moms. However, the contest has discarded the previous regulations.
All hailed the Miss Universe pageant's inclusive move as the previous qualifying requirements limited women's participation due to their parental and marital status.
The Move Is Welcomed By Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza Of Mexico:
Everyone applauded the pageant's progressive move, including Mexico's Andrea Meza, the winner of Miss Universe 2020. Meza was alleged to be married after she won the title. She criticised the current eligibility requirements as being sexist and unreasonable.
She stated, "I honestly enjoy that this is happening," in an interview with Insider. She said, "society changes, and women have gone on to occupy leadership positions that only men could in the past, it was time for beauty pageants too, to change and open up to women with families."
Meza added that the previous regulations were made in order to appeal to the broadest audience and to present the victor as a stunning young lady who is single and looking for a relationship.
She further added, "A few people object to these changes since they have always yearned to see a beautiful single woman who is open to dating. They always wanted to see a woman that, from the outside, looks so perfect that she's almost unreachable. The former is sexist and the latter is unrealistic."
Three Indian beauty queens have won the Miss Universe competition, which is aired in more than 160 territories and nations worldwide. Following Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000, Harnaaz Sandhu of Punjab just took home the title of Miss Universe 2021. People are hopeful that this reform will lead to improvements for women and the world.