Miss Universe contestants speak out vs sexual harassment
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Miss Universe 2017 Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters didn’t shy away when asked to comment on sexual harassment just after being crowned.
“If women take hands and stand together, we are unbreakable,” said the 22-year-old representative from South Africa, “and we can say no to the things that are wrong in the workplace, at home or wherever you might go.”
In the US, dozens of politicians, Hollywood executives and actors, and media personalities are facing accusations of sexual misconduct, sparked by a wave of allegations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.
The topic arose during Sunday’s competition when a fan-submitted question asked why it’s important for men and women to work together to address the issue of sexual misconduct.
Miss Jamaica Davina Bennett said men and women should come together to make sure no form of abuse, including sexual harassment, is tolerated.
“Sexual harassment is a form of abuse, and no abuse should be tolerated whether in the workplace or in society,” Bennett said.
Nel-Peters, who recently earned a business management degree, was crowned during the event at The AXIS theater at Planet Hollywood casino-resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
The runner-up was Miss Colombia Laura Gonzalez, while Bennett finished as the second runner-up.
In the pageant’s 66th year, nearly 100 women from around the world — including first-timers from Cambodia, Laos and Nepal — took part.