Model Disqualified from Miss World For Having a Child, Does It Make Sense?

The Ukrainian model, Veronika Didusenko, 24, is taking legal action against the Miss World beauty competition after she was disqualified for having a child.

Veronika was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018, but she had her title taken hours later after the organizing committee found out that she is a divorced mom of a five-year-old boy.

As a result, she would not be able to represent her country at the 69th edition of Miss World pageant that takes place on December 14, in London.

The rules of the beauty competition ban anyone from participating in the Miss World franchise if they have kids.

Veronika commented she wanted to change the rules and challenge them to make them more appropriate for today’s world. Women nowadays can balance between their family life and their careers, the model highlighted.

The human rights lawyer Ravi Naik will represent Veronika Didusenko. In Naik’s opinion, under the Equality Act 2010, the Miss World’s entry policy is discriminatory.

Veronika admitted she entered Miss Ukraine to raise her charity’s profile. She was more than surprised to be crowned as a winner.

However, she felt offended and humiliated when the organizers disqualified her because she has a child. The model confirmed she read the restrictions on the application form, but the committee encouraged to apply anyway.

Veronika asserted that this is not only her battle; it is a battle of thousands of women that are declined career opportunities because they are raising a child.

Being a mother does not prevent any woman from being a successful professional, Veronika said, highlighting that the Miss Universe’s restrictions make no sense to her.

In response to Veronika Didusenko, Julia Morley, the chair and CEO of the Miss World Organisation, commented that the beauty pageant is an international competition. As such, it should take into account various religions and beliefs, she added.

Just because certain things are acceptable in Europe, it does not mean they will be welcome everywhere, Morley said. The organization is working hard to ensure the balance and to consider other cultures, Morley concluded.

In 2014, Angie Beasley, the director of the Miss England competition, discussed the issue in an interview. She defended the no-mothers rule saying that it would be challenging for winners to split their time between family and their role as models.

According to Beasley, it would also be unfair towards the child and the family to take the mother away from them for a whole year while she travels the world to participate in charity causes. It would raise concerns about the child’s well-being, Beasley noted.

What do you think? Do you support or oppose the Miss World’s ban on mothers?