MANILA, Philippines — After allowing transgender women to compete at the Miss Universe 2018 pageant, Spain's Angela Ponce made history. But now, in a move to be more "inclusive," Miss Universe has announced that mothers and married women are now allowed to join the world's biggest pageant starting 2023.
According to the official Instagram account of the national director of Miss Universe Dominican Republic, Magali Febles, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) will start accepting married women and mothers with children starting the 72nd Miss Universe pageant season in 2023 since many countries have already chosen their representatives for the 2022 edition this December.
The president of Miss France Society, Alexia Laruche-Joubert, said in a comment she made with The Limited Times news portal last July 13 that as an evolution of the Miss France regulation for 2023, she said that "the ban on married women and/or mothers from participating is also over."
Previously, the pageant only allowed single women who have never married or had children. The contest also previously scrapped the height requirement, but the age requirement remains the same, from 18 to 28.
Related: Miss Universe Philippines adjusts age requirement for 2021 final call
Miss Universe's decision came nearly three years after former Miss Ukraine Veronika Didusenko was dethroned for being a mother. As response, Veronika launched @righttobeamother, and took legal action against Miss World.
Interestingly, the Miss International Organization, through its spokesperson Stephen Diaz (@DiazStephen) wrote a Tweet saying, "Change is good but there's a reason why our pageant is meant for single ladies at certain age bracket. The presence of such limitation gives extra value to the title because you got to have one shot at it while you're still young and is eligible."
While not all countries and cultures may subscribe to this new rule, it's interesting to note, if indeed such a regulation becomes permitted, that the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) has made a change of heart after being resolute on this matter for seven decades.
In fact, in 1957, when the Miss USA winner was selected on the same time as the Miss Universe winner, Miss USA Leona Gage was stripped of her title in less than 24 hours of being crowned. It was known that she lied about her age, that she had been divorced, remarried, and is the mother of two children. After her dethronement, Leona went on to marry four more times!
"Only allowing women who have never been married or had children to compete sends the dangerous message that: Motherhood isn't beautiful, Motherhood marks the end of a career, Motherhood limits your potential," Students for Life of America wrote in a post.
It can be recalled that when India's Sushmita Sen was crowned Miss Universe 1994 in the Philippines, her answer to the final Question & Answer segment that asked, "What for you is the essence of being a woman?” was:
"Just being a woman is a gift of God that all of us must appreciate. The origin of a child is a mother, who is a woman."
Coincidentally, the reigning Miss Universe when mothers and wives are now allowed to join is also from India, Harnaaz Sandhu.
Related: 'Philippines has my whole heart': Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu calls Philippines 'the best'
Whatever happens to this new controversial rule will see light in the coming days. Stay tuned!