On Nov. 16, the fashion and beauty industry hosted one of its most popular yet controversial events, Miss Universe. While this is a global spectacle showcasing beauty, talent and grace, it has been a topic of debate for decades. The Miss Universe Organization aims to celebrate diversity by bringing women from every corner of the world together, but the organization’s history leaves in question if this goal is actually being sought after.

For years women from over eighty different countries, with varied cultural, ethnic and geographical backgrounds have gathered to show off their beauty. Since 2023, the pageant seems to have become a champion on inclusivity due to the changes in restrictions that were made. During the 2023 show, MUO reached a peak in inclusion when they abolished the age restriction and allowed married women, mothers and transgender participants to compete.

Miss Guatemala was the first mother confirmed to participate in the 2023 pageant. On a similar note, the Netherlands and Portugal were represented by transgender models while Nepal was represented by their first plus-size contestant.

However, one question still lingers in the minds of viewers: Does Miss Universe truly promote the acceptance of every woman regardless of their body shape, skin tone and background?

Drama kicked in when the current CEO of MUO Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, a Thai transgender activist and entrepreneur, was recorded saying that women who were not withing the beauty standards could participate, but they would not win the crown. This comment opened the door for more criticism from the spectators claiming that the supposed “inclusion” movement in MUO was a communication strategy that the organization used to promote their products and increase their sales.

Regardless of the different actions taken during the previous year and the allegations made against the organization, some wondered if the 2024 MUO pageant could still be considered inclusive. After all, some of the contestants this year, such as Miss Brazil and Miss Honduras, were married and had children.

With these new regulations at MUO, John Brown University students reflected on whether this event truly portrays inclusivity of all women.

“I have seen lately that they are trying to include all types of women in these events, like plus size women, Muslim women and even transgenders; I feel like they have not been inclusive at all because women are also petite and natural; they are forgetting what the real sense of being a woman,” junior Joyce Carmona Brown said.

Despite its attempts to promote inclusivity, some women at JBU argue that MUO is far away from breaking all its stereotypes.

“Miss Universe does not promote inclusivity. However, I believe they are making an effort to get there because now we see more variety than there used to be,” freshman Erika Steenhoek said.

“I think that Miss Universe has become an inclusive pageant in the past years. We have seen plus-size women, participants with disabilities, and truly inspiring women from different backgrounds. They have been showing us that beauty comes in different forms, and I like how they are crowing new countries, like Denmark and Nicaragua,” freshman Alejandra Ocon said.

When examining the contest’s history and evolution, the strides towards inclusivity have been noticed, but have these steps been too small considering how fast the current world changes.

Photo courtesy from Freepik