The real question is how does parading of beauty by the 120+ contestants, mostly young women, serve the aspirations of the people of Telangana.
Published Mar 16, 2025 | 12:05 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 16, 2025 | 12:47 PM
A poster of the Miss World competition.
Synopsis: Telangana will host the 72nd edition of the “Miss World” pageant in May this year. The Telangana government announced that it has special plans to promote tourism on the global map. However, it is well-known that such international exhibitions, events, conferences, and programs do not necessarily fulfill the benefits they claim.
The 72nd edition of the “Miss World” pageant will be held in Telangana. The competition will begin in Hyderabad on 7 May and conclude with a grand finale on 31 May, announced the organisers.
They expressed joy in welcoming the Miss World competition to Telangana, a region with a rich cultural heritage, and mentioned that they will organise eight to nine events for this international celebration in Hyderabad.
Miss World Limited CEO and Chairman Julia Morley and Telangana government’s Tourism, Culture, Heritage, and Youth Affairs Secretary Smita Sabharwal, jointly made the announcement.
Miss World competitions were held in India twice — Bengaluru hosted the event in 1996, and Mumbai in 2024. For the third time, India is hosting the Miss World pageant, with Telangana beating Dubai for this opportunity, said Sabharwal.
She added that Hyderabad was chosen for the event due to its international recognition, historical significance, and unique rural backdrop.
According to her, one of the main attractions of this year’s Miss World pageant in Telangana will be handloom garments. The state government is planning to make all contestants wear Telangana handloom clothes during the competition, representing the state’s rich textile culture.
The organisers mentioned that there will be several themes during the event, with one of them showcasing Telangana’s handloom textiles.
“This is a great opportunity for Telangana’s tourism industry. That’s why we’re embracing this event in every possible way. We aim to put Telangana at the forefront in every sector — food, hospitality, tourist destinations, historical sites, handlooms, and investments. We’re proud to leverage this event as a platform to showcase Telangana,” Sabharwal said.
The event in 1996 was held in Bengaluru under the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited’s management, amidst strong protests. Thousands of activists from progressive women’s groups, like the Progressive Women’s Association, Chaitanya Women’s Group, and others, were arrested during these protests.
The Telangana government announced that it has special plans to promote tourism on the global map, and the Tourism Department stated that they have brought this event to the state with the slogan “Telangana Zarur Aana” (You must come to Telangana).
It’s laughable when they claim that this beauty pageant is chosen to showcase Telangana’s great handloom heritage, tourist spots, and unique cuisine.
It is well-known that such international exhibitions, events, conferences, and programs do not necessarily fulfill the benefits they claim. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to host this beauty pageant in Hyderabad, which promotes harmful objectification of women and imperialistic interests.
It is tragic that the BJP government at the Centre, which declares itself as protectors of culture and Hindu dharma, approves these events in India, while the Telangana government unfortunately considers it prestigious.
The real question is how parading more than 120 contestants, mostly young women, serves the aspirations of the people of Telangana.
The state government has failed to introduce schemes for job creation, ensure women’s safety, or to take adequate action in acts of violence against women. Hosting such beauty pageants, therefore, is only meant to serve the purpose of distraction from real issues.
The beauty pageant concept was designed in 1951 by Eric Morley from the UK, and the first competition took place in London on 29 July of that year.
The first-ever Miss World title was won by Kiki Håkansson from Sweden. Despite large-scale criticism from feminist groups and several controversies, the Miss World competition gradually became more popular as part of capitalist market expansion strategies.
After Eric Morley passed away in 2000, his wife, Julia Morley, took over the leadership of the event. During the 1990s, as part of global neoliberal economic policies, interest in these pageants increased in India also.
After 2000, the competition was no longer seen as merely a showcase of physical beauty but was framed as an attempt to empower women, with the slogan “Beauty with a Purpose” gaining popularity.
Despite the event’s claims of empowering women, it has continued to face protests in various countries.
Every year, about 120 countries participate in the Miss World preliminary beauty pageants. Those who win in their respective countries get a chance to compete in the finals.
Contestants participate in various segments like Beach Fashion, Beauty with a Purpose, Multimedia, Sports, Talent, Top Model, and Contestant’s Choice. The winners in these segments are sent to the final Miss World competition.
The final winner receives the Miss World title, around ₹10 crore in prize money, a diamond crown, and several other awards. These awards vary every year.
The winner serves as the global representative for the Miss World organisation for the year, participating in several promotional events around the world.
Many multinational companies and organisations like the United Nations appoint the Miss World winners as brand ambassadors. The Miss World organisation provides many benefits to the winners, including free clothing, flights, hotel accommodation, jewellery, makeup, and styling services.
These pageants are primarily designed to promote the expansion of imperialist markets and sell commercial products.
(Views expressed here are personal. The writer is a well-known activist of women’s rights and president of the Progressive Organisation of Women. Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
