Miss World chief defends contest
2007-12-01 12:16
Sanya, China - The Miss World competition that has brought together more than one hundred young women for a beauty contest on a tropical island is not sexist and is not fixed, its organiser said on Saturday.
As the 57th pageant moved towards its climax in the resort of Sanya, on China's southern Hainan island, Julia Morley, chairperson of the Miss World Organisation, passionately defended the event, which some detractors have branded a sexist anachronism.
With this year's contest coinciding with World Aids Day, Morley and her British-based team have made awareness of HIV/Aids a key part of the build-up - proof, she said, that Miss World was more than just a collection of beautiful women from around the globe sporting skimpy bikinis and false smiles.
"I think a lot of women really enjoy dressing up, looking good and being fit," Morley told AFP.
"But it's also a great education for all the girls because they are here together for one month, basically with other girls from all over the world, so it's a great chance for them to develop their interests and knowledge, as well as their careers."
The organisation paid for the further education of some contestants, she said, and helped raise money for charities in their home countries.
Charity events
Many winners went on to forge a wide variety of successful careers as models, writers, hotel owners and police officers, she said, citing Indian actress Aishwarya Rai, who since being named Miss World 1994 has become world famous as a Bollywood film star and international model.
The pageant had raised $500m in the last 30 years, Morley said, adding that her organisation had joined forces this year with China's Red Cross Society to raise $5.5m through charity events.
That money would help build 106 health care centres across the country - one for each contestant, she said.
She bristled at any notion that Miss World might be rigged, saying she "would rather die".
"It would be a sin to be party to anything like that," she said.
"I don't care who wins. What would be the advantage to me if, say, the Czech girl won or if only the big countries won?
"If you worked with us and the girls it's a hell of a thing to do to people. I've been around too long to be bent. I'm trusted - and that's the biggest value I can have."
Morley took over running the contest after husband Eric, who founded Miss World in 1951, died in November 2000.