Young Edge: As contestant withdraws from Miss World 2025, Pune youths say pageants must evolve, promote more respect

The Miss World organisation has denied all the allegations and stated that they plan to sue her for defamation. Even as Miss England Milla Magee is the first titleholder to walk out of the competition in its 74-year-old history, the move has sparked a conversation around the relevance of such pageants.

Neha Gaikwad, 24, a graduate preparing to move to the US for her Master’s degree, said she always admired the grace, intelligence, and sense of purpose that pageants promoted. “Being crowned Miss India or Miss World has been a dream,” she said. Though the recent news surprised her, she admitted that it wasn’t entirely shocking. “I have often heard murmurs about such issues within the industry,” the Pune-based Gaikwad noted, adding that pageants could still be powerful platforms, if conducted ethically.

“They can be powerful vehicles for change,” she stated, while advocating for more diversity, mental health support, and transparency in the process, saying that it must evolve to remain relevant and inclusive.

Ketaki Patil, 22, a student of Savitribai Phule Pune University, recalled that she used to admire Indian winners of international pageants as a child but became disenchanted over time. She expressed scepticism about the pageant world, stating, “No matter how big or small these industries and their circles are, the women have no real voice of their own.” She opined how women are expected to constantly appear “well dressed and presentable”, often without fair compensation.

“I’ve heard a lot of models don’t even get paid, they just get vouchers of luxury hotels and stuff.” She felt that if pageants genuinely celebrated beauty in all forms, “the participants wouldn’t have to wear gowns and learn proper dining etiquette.” To her, these contests are more regressive than feminist now.

A 22-year-old MBA student from Pune commended Miss England for being bold and outspoken. She compared it to the pressure women face to prove their worth beyond appearance. “When contestants are expected to wear full makeup and ball gowns at breakfast,” she said, “it’s hard not to see a contradiction in the ‘beauty with a purpose’ mission.”

Poonam Tamhane, 24, an architect based in Pune, shared a nuanced perspective. While she appreciated the confidence such platforms can give, she also recognised the heavy societal expectations placed on women. “There is always a layer of pressure and public judgment,” she said. Although she sees value in the visibility pageants offer, Tamhane believes that “real space and real identity, come from what you bring to the table, not just from a crown.” She called for a structural revamp, urging pageants to reflect today’s complex identities and move beyond outdated stereotypes.

Another student, 19, from IISER Pune, shared how she felt these events created unrealistic standards for women. She said, “They do come across overtly as an alternative voice or credible career stage for a lot of young women, and then often put them through some very regressive practices, in the name of a world-renowned competition…perpetuating such standards which again play into the hand of patriarchy, and cutting off any critical thinking for these young people.”

A 21-year-old student and model from Pune, who has been part of the pageant circuit from a young age, admitted that while she once aspired to win titles like Miss World or Miss India, now she feels “extremely perplexed about the authenticity of beauty pageants.” Referring to distasteful incidents in the industry, she added, “Whoever is associated with the glamour industry, especially modelling, has to encounter such incidents often. Participants should be able to fulfil their dreams with dignity and respect,” she added.

(The writer is an intern with The Indian Express)