According to the rumors going around the beauty pageant world, the Mexican Gender Equality Commission seeks to discontinue the holding of beauty pageants in Mexico as they believe that such events are a form of symbolic violence against women.
In a virtual meeting on Friday i.e., 3rd July 2020, the Gender Equality Commission of Chamber of Deputies said its members were working on three aspects: to include symbolic and media violence, gender parity reforms, and consolidate the concept of re-victimization. The members of the commission said the symbolic violence had been naturalized through cultural representation, language, art, theater, cinema, television, jokes, and jests.
“We believe that beauty contests are events which show women through sociocultural standards and under gender stereotypes as an instrument to maintain the concept of a female body as an object. This limits the personal development of the participants,” the members said.
The draft outlines its objections for conducting beauty pageants by decrying the conducting of contests or elections or any such form of competition in which beauty or physical appearance of women, girls, or adolescents is evaluated in full or in part based on sexist stereotypes.
Beatriz Rojas Martínez, deputy from Morena, indicated that beauty contests and competitions are held annually in the country, where gender roles are reproduced. She considered that these events organized and financed by state governments "to supposedly promote tourism, traditions and customs are a contradiction", in addition to having resources to strengthen this symbolic violence.
The commission have also mentioned that media violence is also a form of symbolic aggression expressed through the publication or dissemination of stereotyped symbols, images, messages and ideas, through the mass and electronic means of communication.
The pageant fanatics have expressed their sadness to these rumors as they believe that beauty pageants held in Mexico have been popular for several decades amid criticism for perpetuating gender stereotypes and the beauty queens have performed exceptionally well at the competition giving the country high positions at their respective competition.
Here are their highest placements at the big 6 in recent years:
Miss World Mexico 2018 Vanessa Ponce De Leon was crowned Miss World 2018
Miss International Mexico 2019 Andrea Toscanno was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss International 2019
Miss Grand Mexico 2019 Maria Malo was adjudged as the first runner-up at Miss Grand International 2019
Miss Earth Mexico 2018 Melissa Flores was adjudged as Miss Earth Fire 2018
Miss Supranational Mexico 2018 Diana Romero was adjudged as the fourth runner-up at Miss Supranational 2018
Miss Universe Mexico 2019 Sofia Aragon was adjudged as second runner-up at Miss Universe 2019
There has been no confirmation from any of the organization in Mexico as of now but the fans have been furious with the rumors and have been expressing their opinions out on social media. They have stated that Miss Universe Mexico 2019 Sofia Aragon is an epitome of an empowered woman who has done Ted Talks and been open about her personal struggles. Miss World Mexico 2018 Vanessa Ponce is another well-spoken queen who is regarded as one of the best Miss World titleholders of the decade and everyone knowns that Miss World doesn’t objectify women.
We really hope this isn’t true but we all are waiting for a confirmation.