The Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in a few days in Eilat, raises again on the public agenda the question of whether in 2021 it is appropriate to hold competitions in which women become a model, in which this beauty model is measured according to criteria that no longer characterize or represent the female beauty model.
Every year this question arises and discussions are held on the subject, and every year "the dogs bark and the caravan passes."
The beauty pageants continue to exist, and probably will continue to do so.
Why?
Because beauty pageants are commercial, and their goal is one - to make money!
Beyond that, the fact that large sums are involved in these competitions, certainly in a competition like Miss Universe, raises the competition to the headlines, because beauty sells.
Not sure you've heard of it, but quietly under the radar, there's another kind of beauty contest.
The competition is called "Miss Fix The universe", a great and special initiative of the Women's Lobby and the "Equality" association, and it arose as a counter to the Miss Universe competition.
The project seeks to illuminate for the public in Israel and around the world the beauty that takes place in social action in Israel and the women who work for social correction in specific places, each in its own field, and how symbolic it is that it takes place near Hanukkah.
The idea is to provide a platform for projects led by women, which deal with actions to promote the values of sustainability, social justice, human rights, democracy and equality.
The women who are elected by a public vote and reach the first places, will win a prize in the form of a financial investment in their venture.
A venture of this kind should be seen and heard in every corner, however while Miss Universe captures all the media focus, "Miss Fix The universe" is pushed to the margins.
It is important to put your finger on the point and say that this is also beauty, but of a different kind, beauty that is not external, or in other words, beauty that radiates to society as a whole.
This beauty is not how high the contestant is, or what her waist circumference is, this beauty is not the opportunism of how competition can leverage it, and this beauty is also not something that will pass over the years.
In this beauty lies power - the power to change!
It has activism, values and a sense of social justice.
But perhaps most of all, this beauty sees the other, both the beauty queen and the neighbor across the street, both the cashier at the supermarket and the human resources manager at the company - all the women wherever they are.
In the "Miss Fix The universe" competition, anyone can apply as a candidate.
She can attest to herself and her doing, to stand up straight and be proud.
The criteria are not strict, so that so far more than one hundred and fifty women have applied.
There is no judicial staff here, and the general public is invited to judge, so the sense of public participation is strongly present here.
And yet, such a significant project fails to get the stage it deserves, the spotlight, the fifteen minutes of fame it deserves and the amazing women who dedicate themselves to world repair, no less and no more.
Participants of Miss Universe, Photo: Idan Yitzhakian - Nature and Parks Authority
So is the world still so superficial and would rather engage in beauty than in essence?
You can not be naive and think that the world of beauty will disappear, that we will stop seeing models and everything that is right will get on stage, and you can not be naive and think that money is not a major player.
And yet, it is fitting that things of this kind should also get the stage they deserve, if only because it will contribute to all of us.
If we are interested in assimilating the issue of gender equality and bringing about change in this field, it is important that it be constantly in the headlines, it is not possible to take it down for a moment from there.
This project and its types need to be present there at least as much as the Miss Universe pageant is present.
And here's an idea, maybe the Miss Universe pageant or at least the beauty pageant of Israel, will sponsor the project and that's how we catch two birds with one stone or in our case, two beautiful women, one inside and one outside.
The columnist is an organizational consultant and CEO through Woman
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