Beauty pageants may no longer exist in Mexico and here’s why
For year, Latin American countries have dominated beauty pageants. Just take Venezuela! Venezuela has produced more beauty queens than any country in the world. With schools designated to training girls as young as 5 on how to walk, speak and look, it’s no surprise pageants continue to be a big part of our culture — and Mexico is no exception.
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However, Mexico may soon be saying goodbye to their infamous pageants for a very important reason — they contribute to violence against women. That’s exactly what the Gender Equality Commission said when proposing to ban beauty contests for good, part of new provisions to the general law on Women’s Access to a Life Free of Violence. According to the commission, these pageants not only objectify women and continue to support stereotypes, girls under 13 start competing in contest that put them in vulnerable situations. While pageants are competitions to select which woman is best all around — from personality traits to intelligence and talent — these contests are ironically run by men every year.
While many will agree that these pageants add to the problem of machismo, not everyone is on board with the proposed ban. María Guadalupe “Lupita” Jones Garay, who was crowned Miss Universe in 1991, took to social media to voice her disapproval on the ban of pageants.
“I have witnessed and actively promoted a transformation in these platforms in our country. I have always said that platforms like Miss Universe have represented the woman of every era. Over the course of 68 years, it has evolved not once, not twice, many times more to adapt to what the same woman has been demanding throughout history,” Lupita, who was the first Mexicana to win the crown for her country, said.
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She added: “Trying to typify these platforms as Symbolic Violence seems to me completely wrong and without any support. How can training, training, training and strengthening women be considered violence against women, both internally and externally? Teach her to cultivate her self-esteem, self-confidence and security. Provide you with professional opportunities so that you can stand out in what you are passionate about. Where is the violence?”
While the newly formed commission hopes to put a stop on pageants to reduce violence against women, it might not get the green light from everyone as pageants are part of Mexican cultura and are a common celebration at Carnivals.