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On November 30, local time, Ukrainian model and beauty pageant champion Veronika Didusenko officially sued the organizers of "Miss World", saying that the beauty pageant banned married and fertile women from participating in violation of relevant laws. As the saying goes, thousands of people are beautiful, the definition of beauty is different for everyone, with the development of the times, does the rules of the beauty contest also need to "keep pace with the times"?
According to the BBC, Didusenko won the "Miss Ukraine" crown in 2018. However, four days later, the organizers stripped Didusenko of the title, ordered the return of the prize money, and disqualified him from representing Ukraine in the "Miss World" pageant on the grounds of "married and childbearing".
It is reported that Didusenko, now 24 years old, is now divorced and has a 5-year-old son. According to the rules of the "Miss World" and "Miss Ukraine" contests, married or childbearing women are not allowed to participate or retain the title of champion. Didusenko admitted that she saw the rules on the application form when she signed up, but the organizers repeatedly encouraged her to participate. Didusenko said in an interview that he hoped Miss World would give her a reasonable explanation.
In addition to seeking justice for himself, Didusenko also took care of other women. She argues that the rules of Miss World are outdated and do not fit the reality of today's women. Didusenko said: "The organizers' approach is simply humiliating. I think it's unfair that women who, like me, want to be part of Miss World are denied the opportunity just because of their motherhood, and they can perfectly balance their careers with their private lives. ”
Rodusenko's lawyer, Ravi Naik, said the rules for Miss World were discriminatory under the Equality Act of 2010. At present, Didusenko has launched a petition campaign on social media with the theme of "Right to be a mother" and formally sued the organizers of "Miss World" and "Miss Ukraine".
In addition to the controversial issue of marriage and childbearing, Didusenko also called for the beauty pageant to be more inclusive. "Today's fashion shows often invite pregnant women, plus-size women and models of all ages to the catwalk, why can't beauty contests be done?" In Didusenko's view, the focus of the beauty pageant is not whether the winner is beautiful or not, but to help break down gender stereotypes, create jobs for contestants, and empower women.
At the same time that Didusenko complained about the unequal provisions of "Miss Ukraine", "Miss Wales" encountered the same problem. As a regional contest for Miss World, Miss Wales did not escape the restrictions on marriage and childbearing at the age of the contestants, strictly requiring entrants to "be between the ages of 16 and 26, unmarried and never have children".
Paula Abbandonatto, a member of the Welsh Women's Equality Agency, said: "As a feminist organisation, we are not in favour of such competitions, but we understand and respect every woman who participates in Miss Wales. Abontonato added that beauty is not just a "Miss Wales" road. According to her, the agency is studying a "zero bias, zero restriction" beauty contest to involve women of different ages, different sizes, different ethnicities, and different marital and childbearing statuses. "We hope that this beauty pageant is a 'women's empowerment' so that every contestant can find their own position and responsibility."
In recent years, more and more black players have questioned the "European center beauty theory". According to these standards, women must have straight blonde hair and light skin, otherwise they will not be able to step into the threshold of beauty pageants. However, black women "go their own way" and strive to show beauty in the "most authentic and natural" state, ignoring prejudice.
Deshauna Barber, the 2016 Miss Usa, is an African-American who has repeatedly called for the importance of "diversity beauty pageants." During the game, Barber retained her curly black hair, which, in her opinion, distinguished her from others. Like Barber, 2017 "Miss Jamaica" Davina Bennett showed off her "exploding head curls", and her authenticity made her a myriad of fans, and she was finally nominated for "Miss Universe".
▲ Bennett.
In 2018, "Miss Uganda" Quiin Abenakyo won miss Africa. However, at the award ceremony, Abnergy chose to wear a "black short straight" wig to cover his original curly hair. The move was met with resentment by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who implicitly said on Twitter that "we should show the beauty of Africa with authenticity." Abenaji agrees, but she also believes that wearing a wig is just her own choice, "no one can define beauty".
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