brand logo

Voices of Colombo: Beauty Pageants – Empowering or patronising? 

08 Apr 2021

By Savaira Sammoon    The Mrs. Sri Lanka for Mrs. World pageant and its aftermath has caught the nation’s attention, with the controversial crowning, de-crowning, and re-crowning of Pushpika De Silva as Mrs. Sri Lanka ensuring that this topic dominates the news cycle for the entire week. An offshoot of this discussion has been an examination of the relevance of beauty pageants in the modern age. The Morning took a trip around Colombo to inquire the public about their thoughts on the modelling industry and whether or not they believe beauty pageants are truly empowering.    Amaya – 21, Student, Rathmalana  Beauty standards do exist in pageants and they are measured by people’s height, the colour of their skin and such other criteria. But there are also political influences that play a role. No matter what the standards are, the moment political influence enters the scene, everything else becomes invalid. It is wrong that it was a woman that made another woman feel bad. It cannot be that these participants, the organisers and those involved were not aware of the rules. The crowned Mrs. Sri Lanka would have left the competition at an earlier stage if the rules were made clear at an earlier point. It is wrong that she had to face such a thing at the last moment. I feel that the backgrounds of contestants have not been adequately checked at the beginning. If people could act according to their whims and wishes, there is no need for a panel of judges. Beauty pageants are not a problem, such things should exist, but when such a thing happened, society would not look at pageants the same way again. If the organisers did a good job, the pageant would have ended successfully. So, the fault is in their hands. There were no such problems in the pageant industry before. But it could be that we as the general public weren’t aware of what went on behind the scenes. I feel that women would participate less in such competitions in the future. The modelling industry is very populated. But the standard of the modelling profession has deteriorated. Whether the industry is safe or not would depend on the contacts they have. If someone has a lot of contacts within the industry and is powerful and has money, it is safe for them to be in and would not face harassment.    Viduja Dimantha – 19, After A/Ls, Borella  I saw what happened at the Mrs. Sri Lanka event on various media. What I understood was that women are jealous of other women. It is difficult to say whether beauty standards in Sri Lanka are fair or not. Beauty is difficult to measure. Pageants and competitions enable women to come forward and women become famous when they participate in such. But various rumours are made about them. So, they should enter these pageants prepared to face such situations. I think the modelling and TV industry is safe for young people if they check the background properly.          Niroshan – 31, Audit Assistant, Colombo 6  I don’t think beauty standards in Sri Lanka are fair. I think Sri Lanka has to go further to match the international standards of acceptance. However, I do think beauty pageants empower women, as they are a way to highlight our women who are still unknown and present them to a world, as well as showcase their talents in whatever ways possible. The modelling and TV industries, though perceived as unstable and unsafe, can be uplifting to young people. There are many pros and cons but as long as those thinking of joining the industry understand the risks they are going to take, as everything these days are commercialised, and they are aware of the scope of their capabilities, they can go very far.      Zaid – 27, Borella  The beauty standards required to enter pageants in Sri Lanka are fair, as it is necessary in order to enter these industries, but the young women who do will be greatly empowered. This is required in Sri Lanka where women are not uplifted enough, unlike in the Middle East, and these pageants will aid women in moving up in the world and pursuing careers in whatever they want. Furthermore, with the development of technology and transparency in these industries, these jobs are becoming safer and young people with positive attitudes should be encouraged to pursue careers in these fields.v   Kasuni – 22, Writer, Jayana  The way in which the events of the Mrs Sri Lanka pageant were perceived differs from person to person. I do believe women should look out for other women, but there are people with different mindsets, some of which may be open-minded, however, not all of them are. It just depends on how each person reacts to situations they may face. Women need to be confident and stand up for themselves, but it is important to remain respectful and aware of the circumstances. I believe beauty pageants, in general, are empowering to women of all kinds. There may be certain beauty standards that those entering pageants must match and, though beauty is relative, these competitions depend on the judges’ decisions and the criteria they look for. Their wishes must be respected and they are neither wrong nor right. The modelling and beauty industries are just like any other industry and women should not be brought down for not matching the standards that are required to win – just like in the corporate sector. If a person wants to achieve something in that industry, they should be prepared to meet those expectations. I think that when entering these competitions and joining these types of industries, as long as you know how to carry yourself and are willing and ready to face any challenges that may come up, you can achieve many things.

Kapruka

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!

Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Automobile, Mother and Baby Products, Clothing, and Fashion. Additionally, Kapruka offers unique online services like Money Remittance, Astrology, Medicine Delivery, and access to over 700 Top Brands. Also If you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.Send love straight to their heart this Valentine's with our thoughtful gifts!


More News..