Miss West Africa International winner Florence Epee has launched a campaign against bias and unfair practices in beauty pageant events in Africa.
The beauty queen says she is concerned about the growing number of reports of corruption and unfairness in most of the pageants organised in Africa.
The campaign, dubbed ‘#IamFlorenceEpee’, is to encourage cheated pageant contestants to expose organisers who ‘fix’ victories.
Florence also tasked celebrities who are given the opportunity to sit on beauty pageant panels as judges to speak out against these unfair acts.
Florence, who has been a victim of cheating during pageants, said being cheated from a well deserved position in a pageant is the worst feeling in the world, especially when the crowd supports the deserving queen and her opportunity is stolen away.
‘If the men of the world can get excited over the sports of other men kicking balls, and yet lose interest in beautiful women being crowned, then there is something wrong with the state of pageants today. Pageants also need to be in this level. It is not always easy to tell who should win in every competition, but sometimes it’s obvious. People don’t understand that girls usually can’t speak out because they are not in the business of media. They don’t know who to report their pain to; and when they do, they are neglected or people think they are just jealous of the winner,” she stated.
She disclosed that it was about time African beauty queens decided to carry the fight for fair pageantry across West Africa.
‘However, it’s time for the diplomats and ministry or tourism boards and charities in West Africa to act upon the approvals of beauty queens. The West African queen who will soon currently have her own charity and campaigning for youth project has also decided to carry the fight for fair pageantry across West Africa. So if you are willing to be vocal about your experience now is the time and this is the hashtag,’ she said.
By Nii Ogbamey Tetteh (email: [email protected] , twitter: @ogbameytetteh)
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