Do beauty pageants empower women?

NO, It is no empowerment

There is no emancipation in skinny, starving girls, swaying their body in front of the world. It is culturally as well as morally regressive. The worth of a woman should not be measured by the size of her waist, her weight or the people who find her attractive. A show in which she becomes a piece of flesh and bones involves no honour and dignity. Munish Qureshi, Delhi

NO, It paints women negatively

Beauty pageants have a clichéd structure, postulated to be about beauty as well as brains. Nonetheless, it becomes an exclusive space, limited in its outlook towards women. It not only reinforces the male gaze, but also denies women an intellectual space. Women in such contests are only stereotyped as a prototype of beauty. Ashwini Joshi, Mumbai

NO, It should be stopped

Empowerment comes from control and authority whether it is over one’s body or one’s choices. While participating in the pageant is a personal choice, it only promotes the idea of beauty as well as a woman, disregarding the existence of women who identify themselves with the third gender. Gayatri Punj, Chennai

NO, There is no need for so much fuss over beauty contests

Tremendous pressure is put on women to conform to the conventional beauty standards because of such pageants. There are several achievements by women in various other fields which need to be put into the limelight, to be looked up to and get inspired from. Eesha Kohli, Bengaluru

NO, It leaves women and their standing in society in bad taste

Beauty pageants promote the idea of bodily insecurities by hiding flaws. Presenting an airbrushed image of a perfect figure is not empowerment. However, the winners of Miss World and Miss Universe get an opportunity to spread awareness and empower others through their position. Srishti Singh, Delhi