Beauty Pageants — an extension of the patriarchy or the feminist movement?

When Manushi Chhillar bagged the Miss World title on 18th November 2017, my Facebook timeline and Twitter feed were filled with congratulatory messages to her. Well-known celebrities from actors/actresses to politicians and sporting greats lauded and praised her for achieving such a feat at the young age of twenty. Others went to point out that she did India proud by winning a very prestigious world-wide known pageant. It was great to see India being put on the map for a beauty-related reason, in a largely Eurocentric dominated field. Some celebrities even voiced their pride in knowing that India now tied with Venezuela in terms of highest number of Miss World victories (6). The whole noise around this feat got me thinking about the paradoxical nature of pageants: how they represent both a form of feminism and patriarchy.

Beauty pageants have long been critiqued by feminists for reinforcing patriarchal standards for women: such as by objectifying them. Women are told to line up and are then scored based on their looks, their smiles, their hair, make-up and clothing. Women are sexualized as a form of entertainment and these pageants promote standards of beauty that are unrealistic. In fact, the identity of a woman is reduced to a number — they lose their name and personality. This effectively erases her value outside the world of physical appearance and aesthetics. The criteria by which women are chosen or even eligible to compete is very problematic: she must be between the age of 18 and 25, a certain height and weight and her body measurements must not exceed a certain number of inches. Pageants also often reinforce ideas about how long the hair on our head and body should be, the lightness of our skin, makeup we’re supposed to apply and the clothes we are supposed to wear. These restrictions promote a narrow and limiting conception of beauty. Women and girls who do not fit into this ideal box are singled out and excluded from the narrative. Young girls and women are hence socialized subconsciously to evaluate their self-worth based on their physical appearance. Seeing thin, able-bodied women with “perfect” skin and measurements can make women feel like they do not look beautiful unless they look like the women shown on screen. More often than not, this can also contribute to the development of eating disorders in girls and women who are influenced by what they watch on television. Because of their widespread popularity, beauty pageants can teach girls to rely on their looks as a means of success and validation while diminishing the importance of knowledge, kindness, empathy and other such traits.

Furthermore, in a patriarchal society, we, as women and girls are expected to aspire to be ‘beautiful’ in through the standards of a ‘male-gaze’. Beauty pageants celebrate, therefore, the idea of not only physical beauty but also in the way of having a delicate and feminine personality. Women are expected to glide gracefully across the stage, answer questions as they are expected to in a non-threatening or uncontroversial manner and be constantly smiling to project happiness. These women are expected to please/woo the judges and the audience through their appearance, skills and talents. Ultimately, women are placed in a box wherein they are restricted to certain norms and behaviors that are deemed appropriate and accepted by society. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of a pageant, the accomplishments of the woman are forgotten or sidetracked. For example, how many news outlets give the fact that Manushi Chhillar is a doctor in the making as much importance as her appearance? Interestingly, when Manushi’s video from med school began doing the rounds, people were busy talking about “what a transformation” she had in her appearance, instead of appreciating her zeal, her drive and her talents. Former Miss America winner, Nina Davuluri, in spite of her strides in advocating for diversity, gender equality and promotion of STEM education, faced xenophobic, racist and sexist commentary over social media.

However, beauty pageants have also come to represent a form of feminism, especially in recent years. They provide a large-scale platform for women to express themselves, receive recognition for and showcase their talents, develop professionally and personally an even increase their self-esteem and confidence. Additionally, pageants can be great platforms to improve communication skills and face the hardships in life such as disappointment, failure and stress. Beauty pageants can be empowering for women, who may feel validated about their body — celebrating their flaws, imperfections and insecurities instead of worrying about them. Most significantly, the pageants often make women feel like they are seen and noticed — giving them a representation so diverse that is lacking in mainstream media. And because of the reach that these contests have, pageants can also be a great platform to get vocal about women’s rights issues and gender inequality. For instance, in November 2017, the contenders of Miss Peru beauty pageant recited statistics and facts about violence against women in their country instead of their bust, waist and hip measurements.

At the end of the day, beauty pageants both empower and degrade woman. They both promote feminism and borrow from the patriarchy. The bottom line is; however, pageants are inspiring women to redefine what it means to be beautiful. Women are not beautiful only if they fit into the norms of having a pretty face and carry an exhausting zest for life. Women are beautiful when they accomplish what they set out to do, leaping across hurdles and breaking barriers. They are beautiful when they stand up for themselves and question inequality. They are beautiful when they show empathy and help support and build up other women and not bring them down.

So, let’s use these platforms to encourage women to be body-positive and accept the way they look without fear of judgement, scrutiny or assault. Let’s create an environment where women only seek validation from themselves. Let’s inspire young girls to learn about art, music, politics, science, humanities and everything else there is to offer. Let’s motivate girls to be fierce and unapologetic leaders who can make our world a much safer, healthier and better place. Let’s show the world that the place of a woman in society is all-rounded, vital, valuable and irreplaceable.