Miss Universe pageant abolishes age restrictions for contestants

In a groundbreaking move, the Miss Universe pageant will have no maximum age limit for participants, announced Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel. The historic decision was announced during Tanner Fletcher's Beauty Pageant show at the spring 2024 New York Fashion Week on Tuesday. The Miss Universe Organisation, which has been running since 1952, has abolished the upper age limit for contestants, which had been set at 28 previously. 

2 things you need to know

• Miss Universe 2022  R'Bonney Gabriel, 29, shattered the record by being the oldest Miss Universe ever crowned.
• The change will officialy take place in 2024.

Any woman of 18 or above will be able to participate in a beauty pageant

The official Instagram handle of Miss Universe shared the news on social media saying, “Starting then, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe." The handle also shared several pictures of - Miss Universe 2022  R'Bonney Gabriel and wrote, "Gabriel closed out Tanner Fletcher’s stunning NYFW show as the MISS UNIVERSE Organization announced the elimination of age limits across all MISS UNIVERSE and associated pageants."

 

 

 

 

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'Age is not a barrier,' says Miss Universe 2022

Speaking to reports at the fashion event, Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel said, "Age is not a barrier to a woman's ability to compete and achieve greatness. She added that Miss Universe looks for ways to be inclusive and live up to the platform they have designed. 

“What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they’ve designed for us. A woman’s ability to compete at Miss Universe, or anything in life, shouldn’t be defined by her age. Age should just be a number,” Gabriel told a news agency.