Egypt’s most renowned beauty pageant, Miss Egypt, recently announced amendments to its qualification rules: now, veiled, married, and divorced women will be allowed to participate in the competition. These alterations come as part of a concerted effort from the pageant industry to become more inclusive. Prior to the newly imposed rules, the contest only allowed for unmarried, childless women from ages 20 to 29 to take part. While the age range remains unchanged, the new amendments appear to be a progressive move towards empowering and including more women. In 2022, Miss Egypt also altered its rules to expand the scope of women representing Egypt by having each governorate select a queen. This allowed girls from across the country’s cities and villages the opportunity to take part, rather than restricting the competition to the capital’s borders. Moreover, a governorate queen’s position comes with a set of responsibilities — including community service and volunteering — that put the focus on characteristics that go beyond merely the physique. How it all started A variation of the modern-day definition of beauty pageants is first mentioned in Ancient Greek mythology in the story of the…
Are Beauty Pageants in Egypt Changing to Support Women’s Empowerment?
April 18, 2023
