When a woman marries, she invariably takes on additional responsibilities that cut into her professional achievements. Though we have come a long way – today, we are witnessing an era where women are rising with their own creative ventures and sharing inspiring stories while attempting to shatter gender stereotypes.
Today’s women not only play traditional roles that have been set for them for centuries, but they have been making decisions that are instrumental and contribute to societal success along with their personal growth and satisfaction. They have come to understand that they have a larger purpose outside the traditional roles. Today’s woman understands that her decisions impact her family, community, and even the rest of the world.
“Pageants- traditionally thought of to pick a woman who is unmarried and beautiful to represent all women of a state or a country. Today, pageants have evolved and grown to accept and appreciate that women can have their own standing even after they get married or have children. Getting married and having children doesn’t mean that a woman is not beautiful, intelligent, or full of life. Rather she is stronger and braver in taking care of herself, her family, and her community. Today there is so much talk of Women empowerment and equal rights for women. Pageants provide a platform for women – for empowerment, to renew self-love and harness the unacknowledged potential that they possess.” – Says Deepti
For years we have used contests like – Miss India, Miss World, Miss Universe, etc. But today, with the changing face of pageantry – we have a lot of platforms like Mrs. India, Mrs. World, Mrs. Universe, Mrs. Globe, Mrs. Earth, etc. – that represent married women. Pageants have always been a stage for women to become attaining achievers and showcase different aspects of their personality apart from beauty and Intelligence.
Deepti Singh, who took home the title of Mrs. India Universe Earth – 2020-21, Mrs. India Curve Globe -2022, has used these platforms to inspire women like her that anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it. She is pursuing her career in Modelling and acting internationally based on the training and grooming received through these platforms. The importance of these pageants and the numerous opportunities associated with them are often dismissed by critics.
For detractors, beauty pageants are a remnant of an antiquated patriarchal society that values women only for their outward presence. For enthusiasts, pageants provide an enlightening platform to showcase women’s empowerment, ranging from diversity to intellectual prowess. But in truth – Pageant participants get a platform that equips them with vital information and strategies for success in life – both on personal and professional fronts. They come out of these pageants as more confident individuals who are ready to face life with a different perspective.
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“Beauty is an integral part of a woman, but there are other values – intelligence, cultural backgrounds, intention to support fellow women to empower them – these are all facets that judges look for in a contestant. In my experience, most of us still choose to misinterpret beauty contests, even though their significance is evident to us” – Shares Deepti.
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