It’s the 65th edition of Miss Universe pageant season and it seems like it was only yesterday when Filipino beauty Pia Wurtzbach was crowned as the winner. The controversial crowning is still fresh in our memory and here is already a controversy targeting this year’s Miss Universe pageant.
According to recent reports, Gabriela Women’s Party is slamming Miss Universe pageant as cover up of Philippines woes. On Wednesday, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas voiced out against the hosting of the Miss Universe pageant in the Philippines. Brosas said that the hosting is a “manipulative and deceptive tool that projects an image of peace and stability to cover up the creeping influence of fascist repression of poor women’s rising protests.”
Calling the pageant an expensive event to fool people into false celebration, the group said that it is unfair to host a pageant amid problems in society. Brosas further added that the women’s party list group is against any form of pageants and festival that objectifies women.
“Gabriela opposes pageants and other festivals that exploit women and as these are tools to commodify women and use the competitions to promote commercial use of women’s image in marketing products and services on a globalization-oriented trade regime,” Brosas said. Brosas further added that the pageant is “yet another attempt to package the Philippines as a lurid tourist destination for cheap, easily exploitable women.” She further said that Philippines should not join such pageants.
“Women will continue to protest deceptive pageants and push forward the real agenda of peace and justice,” Brosas said. The Gabriela Women’s Party is set to launch a protest against the MU 2016 pageant being hosted in the Philippines on the same day as the finale.
Also Read : Alena Spodynyuk of Ukraine wants to be the Miss Universe 2016 titleholder
This will be the third time that the country will host the Miss Universe pageant. The first time the MU pageant was hosted in the Philippines was in 1974 and then in 1994. The finale is slated to be held on 30th January 2017 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Philippine time.
