The human rights situation in Lebanon has deteriorated further in 2022 with more than 80% of the country’s residents without access to basic rights, including health, education, and an adequate standard of living, such as adequate housing and electricity, according to the United Nations.
Women face systematic discrimination and violence due to the archaic nationality law and multiple religion-based personal status laws. Although Lebanon criminalized sexual harassment, the law falls short of international standards.
In an effort to combat these challenges and in order to bring up positivity and female empowerment, international businessman and socialite Yassin K. Fawaz, better known as “King Rolodex,” (one million + followers) sponsored Miss Europe Beauty Pageant 2022. The winner was Miss Serbia.
Miss Europe and the runners-up were gifted cash and bonus prizes and the winner will be granted a year’s worth of contracts through Fawaz’s network of modeling agencies, making special guest appearances at events in the world’s most fashionable cities such as Milan, Paris, London, Berlin, and New York, inspiring pageant hopefuls to succeed.
Fawaz states, “Lebanon is the top three most severe global financial crises since the mid-nineteenth century. The Lebanese pound has lost 90 percent of its value, eroding people’s ability to access basic goods, including food, water, health care, and education. I created Miss Europe as an event that will uplift the country during times of crisis and give women the power they deserve to start making changes and delve into their inner power.”
As the organizer and sole financier of Miss Europe 2022, Fawaz is on a mission to bring prestigious events back to Lebanon’s capital. He can comment on the following hot topics:-How he is personally funding those struggling on the streets with the Lebanese economy in serious distress-Why he chose to host the Miss Europe organization in Beirut,-How he self-funded the 2022 Miss Europe event, and why he chose this type of event for rewarding competition, especially during this difficult time in Lebanon.-How he is stimulating the creation of jobs for Lebanese out of work and needed revenues going to local businesses.
He says, “The Lebanese government removed or decreased subsidies on fuel, wheat, medicine, and other basic goods, but it has failed to implement an adequate social protection scheme to shield vulnerable residents from the impact of steep price rises. Marginalized communities, including refugees, women, people with disabilities, migrant workers, and LGBTQ people, have been disproportionately impacted.”
Fawaz hopes this event will spark a positive change in the communities surrounding the capital, with many more events to come and funded educational grants for low-income students and material donations to charitable causes in hotspots of the world. Here are the final results:Winner: Miss Serbia- Nikolina Baljak1st runner up: Miss Spain- Maya Litran Esteve2nd runner up: Miss Macedonia- Mija Sterjovska3rd runner up: Miss Russia- Alevtina Bubnova4th runner up: Miss Portugal-Paula Assuncao5th runner up: Miss Ukraine- Tamara Stasiukevych
About Miss Europe
Miss Europe is a beauty pageant established in 1927 by Fanamet as a one-off event where the winner was to star in a film directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau. Miss Europe was re-established by Maurice de Waleffe, with the first contest in 1929.
About Yassin K. Fawaz
Yassin K Fawaz is CEO of the Raddington Group. His Washington, D.C.-based strategic advisory firm provides heads of state, royals, and billionaires with consultative and intelligence services that are crucial global decisions and investments.
His insights have been highlighted in Forbes, Huffington Post, and The Hill. Yassin has been instrumental in implementing support programs in parallel with advocacy and financial support for the deserving.
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