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Three Cheers For Argentinian Town Chivilcoy Which Has Banned 'Sexist' Beauty Pageants

This Little Town In Argentina Is Light Years Ahead By Banning Beauty Pageants
Rachel Moss
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Just days after the Miss World competition announced it will no longer run a swimsuit round, a town in Argentina has banned beauty pageants all together.

The town council of Chivilcoy has reportedly chosen to end their beauty contest traditions on the grounds that such events encourage an obsession with physical beauty and illnesses like bulimia and anorexia.

They also aired concerns that pageants can lead to misogynistic attitudes and violence against women.

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According to the Argentina Independent, the ordinance approved this week states that beauty pageants “reinforce the idea that women must be valued and rewarded exclusively by their physical appearance, based on stereotypes”.

It goes on to label pageants “a discriminatory and sexist practice”, and “acts of symbolic and institutional violence against women and children.”

In Latin America beauty pageants are a common tradition which have often served as a springboard for a career in television or entertainment for contestants.

But the council has said Chivilcoy's festivities and anniversaries will be celebrated by recognising the achievements of young people, rather than celebrating their appearance, from now on.

The news comes after the famous Miss World pageant announced it will no longer include a swimwear round.

"The organization has decided to take itself out of the swimsuit world because it isn't the path they're trying to take," Chris Wilmer, the national director of Miss World America and Miss United States organisation told ABC News.

"It's not just a beauty contest, it's 'beauty with a purpose'. There didn't seem to be a purpose to have the swimsuit."

"Miss World should be a spokesperson who can help a community. She's more of an ambassador, not a beauty queen. It's more about the outreach and what a woman could do with a title like Miss World."

Slowly but surely, it seems like the beauty pageant world may be catching up with the 21st Century.

About bloomin' time...

Miss World over the years
Finalists Miss World 1951(01 of20)
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27th July 1951: Competitors in the first Miss World contest at the Empire Rooms on Tottenham Court Road, London. (Photo by Edward Miller/Keystone/Getty Images) (credit:Edward Miller via Getty Images)
Miss World winner 1952(02 of20)
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Miss May Louise Flodin (miss Sweden) Wins The Title Of Miss World. Pictured With Miss Sylvia Muller (miss Switzerland) On 'number 2' And 3rd Place Miss Vera Marks (miss Germany). Beauty Championship At The Lyceum By Mecca Dancing.15 Nov 1952 (credit:Rex Features)
Miss World 1953(03 of20)
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7th November 1953: Miss France, Denise Perrier, celebrates winning the 'Miss World' beauty competition sponsored by Mecca Dancing. Original Publication: Picture Post - 6785 - The Beauty Contest Business - pub. 1953 (Photo by Thurston Hopkins/Picture Post/Getty Images) (credit:Thurston Hopkins via Getty Images)
Miss World 1954(04 of20)
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UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 18: England, London Lyceum, Miss World 1954 Beauty Contest On 1954, October, 18Th (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) (credit:Keystone-France via Getty Images)
Miss World 1956(05 of20)
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UNITED KINGDOM - OCTOBER 15: London, Lyceum Ballroom, Petra Schurmann Is Miss World, On 1956, October, 15Th (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) (credit:Keystone-France via Getty Images)
The 1968 Miss World winner Miss Australia Penelope Plummer(06 of20)
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15th November 1968: The 1968 Miss World winner Miss Australia Penelope Plummer, wearing her cape and crown, surrounded by other contestants (left to right) Cecelia Amabuyok Miss Philippines (5th) , Mirey Zamir Miss Israel (3rd), Miss United Kingdom Kathleen Winstanley (2nd) and Miss Colombia, Beatrice Sierra Gonzalez (4th). (Photo by Les Lee/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Les Lee via Getty Images)
Miss World 1968(07 of20)
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15th November 1968: Miss World 1968 is Miss Australia, Penelope Plummer. Wearing a crown and carrying a sceptre after the crowning ceremony. (Photo by Les Lee/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Les Lee via Getty Images)
Miss World 1971(08 of20)
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10th November 1971: Miss Brazil, 22 year old Lucia Petterle, crowned Miss World 1971 at the Albert Hall, London. (Photo by Mike Lawn/Fox Photos/Getty Images) (credit:Mike Lawn via Getty Images)
Miss World 1971(09 of20)
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22-year old Brazilian Lucia Petterie (centre) crowned Miss World 1971, at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Marilyn Ann Ward, Miss United Kingdom was second (left) and Ana Paula Almaiba, Miss Portugal was third (right). (Photo by Frank Barratt/Getty Images) (credit:Frank Barratt via Getty Images)
Miss World Winner 1975(10 of20)
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Miss World Winner - Wilnelia Merced representing Puerto Rico, MISS WORLD BEAUTY CONTEST - 1975 (credit:Rex Features)
Miss World Winner 1975(11 of20)
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Miss World Winner - Wilnelia Merced representing Puerto Rico, MISS WORLD BEAUTY CONTEST - 1975 (credit:Rex Features)
Miss World 1976(12 of20)
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The new Miss World, Cindy Breakspeare of Jamaica, a health club manager from Kingston, smiles after being crowned the previous night at the Albert Hall, London. On her left and right are Misses Guam and Australia who came third and second respectively. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) (credit:Central Press via Getty Images)
Miss World 1984(13 of20)
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Winner of the 1984 Miss World Contest, Astrid Carolina Herrera from Venezuela, sitting on her throne at the Royal Albert Hall on November 15, 1984. (Photo by Victor Blackman/Express/Getty Images) (credit:Victor Blackman via Getty Images)
Miss World 1987(14 of20)
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The winners of the Miss World contest in London, 12th November 1987. From left to right, they are Albany Lozada of Venezuela, Ulla Weigerstorfer of Austria (the winner), and Anna Margret Jonsdottir of Iceland. (Photo by Georges De Keerle/Getty Images) (credit:Georges DeKeerle via Getty Images)
Miss World 1994(15 of20)
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SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 20: Aishwarya Rai of India competes in the swimsuit parade during the finals for Miss World 1994 in Sun City, 20 November 1994. (Photo credit should read WALTER DHLADHLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:WALTER DHALDHLA via Getty Images)
Miss World 1994(16 of20)
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SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 20: Miss World 1994 Aishwarya Rai of India poses for photographers a day after winning her crown in Sun City, 20 November 1994. (Photo credit should read WALTER DHLADHLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:WALTER DHALDHLA via Getty Images)
Miss World 1998(17 of20)
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1998 MISS WORLD BEAUTY CONTEST QUEEN CROWN WINNER LINOR ABARGIL WINNING (credit:Rex Features)
Miss World 2003(18 of20)
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Second place Nazanin Afshin Jam (R) from Canada, third, Guan Qi (L) from China and Rosanna Davison (C) from Ireland who won the title of 53rd Miss World (credit:Rex Features)
Miss World 2014 Photocall(19 of20)
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Miss World, Megan Young and other contestants attend a photocall for Miss World 2014 on November 25, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) (credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)
Miss World 2014 Photocall(20 of20)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 25: Miss World, Megan Young and other contestants attend a photocall for Miss World 2014 on November 25, 2014 in London, England. (Photo by Anthony Harvey/Getty Images) (credit:Anthony Harvey via Getty Images)

SEE ALSO:

See How The Miss World Beauty Pageant Changed From 1951 To 2014

The Problem with Miss England Claiming to Be a Feminist

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