New Delhi:

Alejandra Marisa Rodriguez, a 60-year-old Argentine, shattered stereotypes and carved her name into the history books by clinching the coveted title of Miss Universe for the province of Buenos Aires. Her victory, announced on Wednesday, not only celebrates her remarkable journey but also underscores the Miss Universe beauty pageant’s dedication to embracing diversity and inclusivity.

Hailing from La Plata, the capital city of Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, Rodriguez is not just a beauty queen; she’s a seasoned lawyer and journalist, showcasing the multifaceted nature of contemporary beauty. Her triumph stands as a testament to her resilience, breaking barriers and redefining conventional standards of beauty and age.

She becomes the first woman of her age cohort to clinch such a prestigious beauty accolade. Her elegance, grace, and infectious smile captivated both judges and audiences alike, resonating with individuals worldwide.

Videos shared on social media reveal her determination as she prepares to represent Buenos Aires in the upcoming national selection for Miss Universe Argentina, slated for May 2024. Should she emerge victorious, Rodriguez will hoist the Argentine flag on the global stage at the Miss Universe World contest, scheduled for September 28, 2024, in Mexico.

“I am thrilled to be representing this new paradigm in beauty pageants because we are inaugurating a new stage in which women are not only physical beauty but another set of values,” she told the media after her win.

The Miss Universe organization last year announced that it would no longer have age limits for pageant contestants. Beginning this year, any woman over the age of 18 is eligible to compete. Previously, only women ages 18–28 could enter the pageant.

Another beauty pagaent contestant who is making waves is 47-year-old Haidy Cruz, who will represent Dominican Republic in Miss Universe 2024.

New Delhi:

Saudi Arabia is set to enter the esteemed Miss Universe beauty pageant for the first time this year. Rumy Alqahtani, a model from Riyadh, will represent the nation on the global stage.

Ms Alqahtani, who has a million followers on Instagram, announced her participation, sharing a picture of her in a silver sequin gown with the “Miss Universe Saudi Arabia” sash and the Saudi flag. She wrote, “Honoured to participate in Miss Universe 2024. This is the first participation of Saudi Arabia in the Miss Universe competition.”

Who is Rumy Alqahtani?

1. Rumy Alqahtani is a runway model and social media influencer from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in dentistry and is fluent in Arabic, French, and English.

2. Ms Alqahtani made a name for herself in the beauty pageant industry by participating in several global competitions, including the Miss and Mrs Global Asian competition held in Malaysia, Miss Arab Peace, and Miss Europe.

3. She has won several prestigious titles, including Miss Saudi Arabia, Miss Middle East, Miss Arab World Peace, and Miss Woman (Saudi Arabia), according to Emirates Woman.

4. Ms Alqahtani has a passion for travelling and has visited several countries, including UAE, Egypt, and Italy, which is evident in her social media posts.

5. In February 2024, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) appointed Ms Alqahtani as the Goodwill Ambassador to be a voice against violence women and girls are subjected to. She was also invited as a keynote speaker to the 7th World Summit on Human Rights 2024 in Geneva.

The Miss Universe 2024 pageant’s 73rd edition will be held in Mexico on September 18. Sheynnis Palacios, the reigning Miss Universe from Nicaragua, will pass on her crown to her successor.

Erica Robin, the 24-year-old who won the inaugural Miss Universe Pakistan pageant held in Maldives, is being criticised in her home country. From religious leaders to caretaker Prime Minister, everyone has criticised the competition and Ms Robin’s participation, putting a question mark on her participation in the Global Miss Universe Pageant to be held in El Salvador in November, according to a report in Independent. Erica Robin competed against Hira Inam (24), Jessica Wilson (28), Malika Alvi (19) and Sabrina Wasim (26) for the title and was crowned last Thursday.

The outrage in Pakistan

Religious leaders in deeply conservative Pakistan said the event was an insult to Pakistan. Taqi Usmani, an Islamic scholar, demanded that the government take action against the organisers of the pageant. He also wants to dispel the idea that Ms Robin was “representing Pakistan”.

On X (formerly Twitter), politician Mushtaq Ahmed Khan said: “Who are the organisers of this beauty pageant in Pakistan? Who is doing this shameful act?”

As per the Independent report, caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has asked the country’s intelligence agency to launch an investigation against the organisers and how they were able to hold the pageant without the country’s approval about using its name.

Mr Kakar has called the staging of the Maldives pageant a “shameful act” and an “insult and exploitation of women of Pakistan”.

What Erica Robin said

Talking about the beauty contest, the 24-year-old told Voice Of America that she felt a lot of responsibility on her shoulders as she believed it would be the first time Pakistan would have a participant in the global Miss Universe pageant.

“However, I won’t do anything that would harm the reputation of the country,” she added.

After winning the contest, Ms Robin, a Christian, said in an Instagram post that she was honoured. “We have a beautiful culture that the media is not talking about, Pakistani people are very generous, kind and hospitable. On top of that, I would like to invite everyone to visit my country and try the most sumptuous Pakistani cuisines and explore our enchanting nature, our snow-capped mountains, our greeneries and our progressive landscapes.”

Who are the organisers?

The beauty pageant was organised by Dubai-based agency Yugen Group. It put out an advertisement in March, inviting applications from Pakistani women. The agency also owns the Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt franchises, as per Independent.

Ms Robin, a professional model, applied along with hundreds of other professionals. She made it to top 10 contestants and then into top 5.

Speaking about the pageant, Josh Yugen, founder of Yugen Group, told The National: “We want to localise our approach without changing the dynamics of the Miss Universe brand. We are still going to show women from Pakistan who are beautifully confident and who are the epitome of stories of dreams turning into realities.”

Who is Erica Robin?

Ms Robin was born on September 14, 1999, in Karachi. She did her schooling from St Patrick’s Girls High School and then went to Government College of Commerce and Business Administration in Chandigarh.

Ms Robin started her professional modelling career in January 2020 and appeared in the July 2020 issue of DIVA Magazine Pakistan. She revealed in an interview that she once caught the attention of model and actor Vaneeza Ahmed, who got her into modelling.