Tinanggal na ng Miss Universe Organization (MUO) ang restriksiyon sa edad para sa mga kandidatang lalahok sa prestigious international beauty pageant simula sa taong 2024.
Inanunsiyo ito ni Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel sa event ng Tanner Fletcher’s spring 2024 New York Fashion Week na pinamagatang "Beauty Pageant" na ginanap nitong Martes, September 12, 2023.
Mula nang itatag ang pageant noong 1952, ang mga tinatanggap lamang na kandidata rito ay mula edad 18 hanggang 28.
Ayon kay R.Bonney, sa panayam sa kanya ng WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) digital magazine, “What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they’ve designed for us.
“It’s a bold group of women in charge over here, and you know what, a lot of people tend to follow what we do — it’s nice to be a standard-bearer, and I’m proud that we get to do this.”
Sa Instagram Story ng Miss Universe, isinabay rin ang ganitong anunsiyo.
Nakasaad dito: "The Miss Universe Organization announces the elimination of all age limits across all Miss Universe and associated pageants.
“This change will apply for all 2024 pageants globally.
“Starting then, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe.”
Si R’Bonney, edad 29, ang pinakamatandang may hawak ng titulong Miss Universe sa kasaysayan ng beauty pageant.
Read: Filipino-American R'Bonney Gabriel of USA wins Miss Universe 2022
Magiging epektibo ang bagong patakarang ito sa taong 2024 sa lahat ng franchise holders ng Miss Universe sa buong mundo.
Una na ring nabigyang-buhay ang usapin ukol sa edad ni R’Bonney.
Ayon sa kanya, “I answered an onstage question: ‘If you were going to make any changes to the organization’s rules, what would they be?’
"I said to raise the age limit. When I competed, the age limit was 28, and I was 28 at the time.
"So, my answer was that I think we should change this — a woman’s ability to compete at Miss Universe, or anything in life, shouldn’t be defined by her age. Age should just be a number.”
Read: The winning answer of Miss U.S.A. at Miss Universe 2022 Final Q&A
CHANGES AT MISS UNIVERSE PAGEANT THROUGH THE YEARS
Noong taong 2018, nauna nang nagpatupad ng pagbabago ang pageant nang payagan nitong lumahok sa Miss Universe ang kandidata ng Spain na si Angela Ponce na isang transgender woman.
Read: Miss Universe accepts trans woman Angela Ponce of Spain as official candidate
Hindi man pinalad manalo, masaya si Angela na siya ang kauna-unahang transgender woman na makapasok sa Miss Universe pageant.
Nang nabili naman ng Thai billionaire at trans woman na si Anne Jakrajutatip ang Miss Universe Organization, sinabi nitong mas marami pang pagbabago ang mangyayari sa organisasyon, lalo na ang “transformational leadership in order to enhance the organization’s long-standing heritage.”
Read: Thai billionaire Anne Jakrajutatip bagong may-ari ng Miss Universe
Kabilang na rito ang pagtanggap ng mga kandidatang may asawa, diborsiyada, at buntis simula Miss Universe 2023.
Read: Miss Universe Philippines, tatanggap na ng mga aplikanteng kasal, annulled, at may anak
Gaganapin ang 72nd Miss Universe pageant sa bansang El Salvador sa November 18, 2023.