As a young girl I really admired the beautiful and intelligent women who took part in the annual Rose of Tralee festival and represented Ireland in Miss World, Miss Universe and the likes. So much so, that I aspired to be like them. So when I was approached this summer to participate in an Irish pageant I was ecstatic. I had heard the bad press about some of the organisations, so I did my research and read the fine print when it came to this particular pageant. I didn’t want to find anything incriminating but unfortunately I did.

Not all organisations follow the same rules but the pageant I was invited to participate in had one particular rule that I wasn’t happy with. The first criteria listed for eligibility was “Natural born Female“. This made me feel uncomfortable. This rule blatantly excludes transgender women. I was suddenly very skeptical about entering as that is not something I agree with or would feel comfortable going along with. The criteria which followed was “Never been married, single, never given birth“, which I also do not agree with and was a point of contention within the Miss Ireland pageant recently. These rules do no represent the modern woman and I wanted to pose these questions to the organisers of the Irish pageant.

When I voiced my concerns to the organisers I was met with a very understanding response which I was glad of. The Irish strain of the pageant did not enforce these rules but they were the rules enforced by the main global organisation. I tried to put my mind at ease and continue on and be a part of the Irish pageant, but something told me it wasn’t right. Although the Irish strain didn’t enforce those rules, they still supported an organisation that did. This was enough reason for me to back out. I withdrew from the competition. The organisers were fully understanding and totally supportive of my decision. I really appreciated this level of understanding, but I wanted more to be done.

I want to see an actual difference happen in these beauty pageants. The reason I was so keen to enter was to spread my passion for environmentalism and sustainability, especially within fashion. It would have been a great opportunity for me, but I could not continue under the circumstances. I was extremely disappointed but told myself that by not participating and taking a stance, I was making a bigger impact. My hope is that more girls take a stance and soon the organisers will have no choice but to change their outdated rules. I’ve already seen it happen within the Miss Ireland pageant, when a student midwife backed out of the competition due to the rule that contestants were not allowed to have given birth. This caused a ripple effect and many of the other contestants pulled out. The reigning Miss Ireland at the time, even voiced her disgust for the rule. That is the type of action we need to see and which will hopefully ignite change.

I have always looked up to women who participate in these competitions, the likes of Roz Purcell, Grainne Gallanagh and Holly Carpenter. They have used their platforms for good causes and have had a great impact following on from their pageant success. This is what many girls dream of doing, but now in 2021, the reality of competing is very different. The world is changing and we need to become hyper aware of our views and actions. Beauty is nothing without a strong mind and actions behind it. I do not want to take away from the achievement and prestige of participating in pageants as it means so much to so many women. I was delighted that the first black Miss Ireland was crowned this year. Yet I am still disappointed that a mother, a wife or a transgender woman cannot even compete in some of these pageants. .

As said, I have let the Irish organisation know my views and concerns. I have also contacted the global organisation to express my concerns and eagerness for change. I have not yet had a response from the global team. It is still a dream of mine to compete, but only when the circumstances are right. I won’t sacrifice my morals for a beauty pageant.