Married women, mothers eligible to compete in Miss Universe pageant for 1st time in 70 yrs

In a historic move, organisers of Miss Universe have updated its rules as it will now start welcoming wives and mothers to compete for the crown for the very first time. As per a report by The National, the new rules will come into effect from the 2023 edition. The report also stated that national pageant directors received an email briefing on how the organisation has always strived to evolve with the times and the latest decision was the natural next step.

Miss Universe makes a historic change in selection process

The official statement read,

"We all believe that women should have agency over their lives and that a human’s personal decisions should not be a barrier to their success."

Earlier, women aged between 18 and 28 who have never been married or had children were only allowed to participate in the competition, but it is pertinent to note that there is still no confirmation on the age limit after allowing wives and mothers. Also, an official confirmation of the new set of rules is yet to be released.

Miss Universe celebrated its 70th edition last year where India's Harnaaz Sandhu was adjudged as the winner.
Earlier, the organisation, led by two women CEO of MUO Amy Emmerich and President of MUO Paula Shugart, rebranded its tagline - Miss Universe, Beautifully Confident. The official statement read, "We are excited to share the evolution of our tagline with you. In its origin, Miss Universe existed to identify the most confidently beautiful women."

The statement further read, "Our organisation has a legacy of championing strong females, and our evolution speaks to that rich heritage. Now, as the organisation continues to grow, we know that beauty is about who we are and how we show up, Beautifully Confident. The Miss Universe Organisation exists to advocate for a future forged by women. We believe a confident woman can change the world, and the first step is showing up as your beautifully authentic self."