Miss Universe competition opens to married women and mothers

The Miss Universe pageant has adopted new rules that should lead to greater inclusiveness, according to Business Insider. Starting from the 72nd competition, which will take place in 2023, married women and women with children will also be allowed to participate. A message about the innovations was sent to the organizers of the national competitions. “We believe that women should have the right to control their own lives and that a person's personal decisions should not be an obstacle to their success”, - is said.

Mexican Andrea Meza, who won the crown in 2020, said she was happy about the change: “There are many women in the world who married young or had children in their 20s who wanted to compete in Miss Universe, but could not do it because for the rules. And now they will be able to start a new career thanks to this. I know some people are against it. They like to see a lonely beautiful woman who has no one, so perfect that it is almost unattainable.

Previously, only women between the ages of 18 and 28 who had never been married and had no children were allowed to participate in the Miss Universe pageant. The age limit will remain the same.