Violence against women is like a parasite that has infected every stratum of society, regardless of country, race, religion, or social class. The issue has escalated to such extreme lengths, that a majority of women normalise such acts of harassment and ‘ignore’ the lecherous stares or the obscene catcalling they come across every other day.
In a bold move that is definitely going to change the way we look at beauty pageants henceforth, the contestants of Miss Peru broke tradition and stepped up to narrate statistics that detailed violence against women, instead of their body measurements.
The voices of these women could not have come at a better time, especially when we are now at the crossroads of history, where women are actively going out there and making themselves heard in the face of violence, gender inequality, and the barrage of sexual abuse that strikes a chord with women, not just in India, but the world.
It started with Camila Canicoba, hailing from Lima, who said: “My figures are 2,202 cases of reported femicide in the past nine years in my country”. Another contested stated that 81% of attacks on girls under 5 years of age are committed by people close to the family. This change comes at a critical time after thousands of women in Peru marched in protest against gender violence in August last year.
Twitter broke out in support of these amazing women, acknowledging that it was a powerful move on their part to use the platform they’ve been provided to speak about issues that truly need to be discussed. This is the first step towards not looking at beauty contestants as just airheaded women who exist for the sole purpose of showcasing their physical appearances.
Source: Perez Hilton
Source: rose mcgowan
Source: BingBong
We agree, wholeheartedly! You are the beacon of hope, love, and positivity in this world, ladies! Be your gorgeous, empowered selves! We hope that the Miss India pageants, as well as every other international beauty pageant, take cues from Miss Peru and talks about the only stats that really matter right now.
Here’s to ushering in a whole new era of beauty!
