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Domitila Barros: »Miss Germany« 2022
Photo: Philipp von Ditfurth / dpa
She grew up in a Brazilian favela and taught street children there how to read and write: Today Domitila Barros is committed to sustainability, environmental protection and social justice - and because of this commitment she is the new »Miss Germany«.
The 37-year-old Berliner by choice prevailed against ten competitors on Saturday evening.
“We all live on Mother Earth.
And we really need it at the moment,” said Barros on the stage at Europa-Park in Rust, Baden.
She wants to make her topics “cooler, maybe even a bit sexier”.
She mainly uses social media for this.
"The people I want to reach don't read all the newspaper articles - but they scroll," said Barros, who describes herself as a social entrepreneur, actress, model and "social media greenfluencer".
Candidates with »missions«
"Miss Germany" changed the concept a few years ago: Instead of bikini performances in front of male-dominated juries, it's now about the "missions" of the female applicants.
The motto is »wear a sash if you move it« – the sash still exists.
Changing outfits and walking up and down the catwalk have also remained from the old days.
Juror, TV presenter and "Miss Germany" companion Laura Wontorra attested that the change was clearly completed.
For example, several black women made it to the final, one of whom is active in the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as a trans woman for the first time.
According to her own experience, another candidate wanted to give a voice to children who have become victims of child sexual abuse.
Another called on women in particular to take care of their finances themselves.
The title contenders presented their concerns in three rounds.
The jury of celebrities and the audience voted for the winner during an online broadcast lasting several hours.
Juror Uwe Ochsenknecht paid homage to women in general.
He was present at four births, the actor said.
»By then you will know who the stronger sex really is.«
This year there was another elementary innovation in the competition: the federal states no longer sent their respective »miss« into the race for the federal title.
Instead, it started with a Germany-wide Top 160.
wit/dpa