In historic move, Miss Universe pageant to allow married participants from 2023
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In a historic decision, the prestigious Miss Universe pageant is all set to allow married women to participate. The Miss Universe beauty pageant is expanding eligibility for its competition by allowing mothers and married women to enter.
Starting from 2023, the marital and parental status will no longer affect the eligibility of the contestants.
Until now, the Miss Universe pageant's rules have stated that Miss Universe winners must be single and remain so during their entire tenure with the title. The winners have also been traditionally been expected not to become pregnant while reigning as Miss Universe, resulting in the exclusion of mothers.
Andrea Meza, who was crowned Miss Universe 2020 while representing Mexico, welcomed the new rule change.
She labelled established rules that exist as 'unrealistic.' "I honestly love that this is happening," Meza said in an interview with Insider. "Just like society changes and women are now occupying leadership positions where in the past only men could, it was about time pageants changed and opened up to women with families."
Meza criticized the current guidelines as being "sexist" and "unrealistic" in their endeavour to choose a winner that would appeal to the largest possible audience.
"A few people are against these changes because they always wanted to see a single beautiful woman who is available for a relationship," Meza added. "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."
The Miss Universe pageant is broadcast in over 160 territories and countries around the world, including the United States on FYI and Telemundo.
India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021. Punjab-based Harnaaz Sandhu represented India at the 70th Miss Universe 2021, held in Eilat, Israel. Only two Indians have won the title of Miss Universe before Harnaaz Sandhu - actors Sushmita Sen in 1994 and Lara Dutta in 2000.
