The Miss Peru 2018 beauty pageant judges received the perfect and hard-hitting responses from the contestants when asked about their bust, waist and hip measurements. This year, the contestants changed the trend and instead talked about the statistics of violence against women.
The 23 contestants walked the ramp wearing shimmering gold sequins gowns and talked about the facts and data related to trafficking, femicide and harassment issues in the country. The first contestant to talk about the gender violence issue was Camila Canicoba of Lima.
"My name is Camila Canicoba and I represent the department of Lima. My measurements are: 2202 cases of femicide reported in the last nine years in my country," Canicoba said.
The winner of Miss Peru 2018 beauty pageant, Romina Lozano, talked about the women trafficking issue. "I represent the constitutional province of Callaomy and my measurements are: 3114 women victims of trafficking up until 2014."
"My name is Juana Acevedo and my measurements are: more than 70 percent of women in our country are victims of street harassment," contestant Juana Acevedo said.
"My measurements are: the 65 percent of university women who are assaulted by their partners," Bélgica Guerra from Chincha stated.
"My name is Luciana Fernández and I represent the city of Huánuco, and my measurements are: 13,000 girls suffer sexual abuse in our country," Luciana Fernández talked about sexual abuse.
Not only the contestants, but the organisers also spoke about the gender violence issue. The organisers projected several newspaper clippings that highlighted violence against women.
"Everyone who does not denounce and everyone who does not do something to stop this is an accomplice. Women can walk out naked if they want to. Naked. It's a personal decision. If I walk out in a bathing suit I am just as decent as a woman who walks out in an evening dress," organiser Jessica Newton told Buzzfeed.
The contestants are even planning to organise a march in November highlighting the issues of women and make a difference for the millions in their country.
