Voxpop: The Miss Wales Competition is a beauty pageant open to all young women in Wales (aged 17-24). What is your view on beauty pageants?
Charlotte Watkins, Cardiff, 25, Marketing and PR Coordinator for Jane Norman and Peacocks
“I think Beauty Pageants for girls are good to increase confidence and they are empowering. They give girls the opportunity to raise a lot of money while having fun and making new friends.”
Lucy Sommer, West Sussex, 21, Sales Assistant
“Everyone is entitled to enrol on a beauty pageant if they want to; if they feel it brings them fulfilment.”
Philip Kenny, Manchester, 26, Dental Student
“They are the personification of misogyny.”
Lynne Horan, Cardiff, 60, Retired
“I’m not particularly bothered about them. I don’t watch them and I have no desire to watch them.”
Vickie Pathy, Cardiff, 48, Teaching Assistant
“The first thing that comes to my mind is- why would you? You can be beautiful but why do you have to walk around in your bikini? I think it’s about 40 years out of date. It’s desperate.”
Clare O’Connell, Cardiff, 23, Structural Engineer
“I think they are superficial. Contestants say what they think people want to hear, not what they actually believe. It’s cliquey between a group of people with the same shallow ideals.”
The Miss Wales competition is in full swing, contestants are fundraising and creating social media pages in preparation for the final, set to be held in St David’s Hall on 26 April.
The beauty pageant is open to women in Wales, aged 17-24. But is there more to the competition than looking perfect? Sadie Maltby, a Miss Wales 2014 finalist, explained: “I think there are often misconceptions regarding beauty pageants but based on my experience so far, these couldn’t be further away from the truth.”
Sadie, of team Rhondda, explained the process has been challenging but a great confidence-boost. She stated: “It’s not all about beauty but using your ‘beauty with a purpose’ and just being the best you can be.”
Follow Sadie on Facebook.
Voxpop: The Miss Wales Competition is a beauty pageant open to all young women in Wales (aged 17-24). What is your view on beauty pageants?
Charlotte Watkins, Cardiff, 25, Marketing and PR Coordinator for Jane Norman and Peacocks
“I think Beauty Pageants for girls are good to increase confidence and they are empowering. They give girls the opportunity to raise a lot of money while having fun and making new friends.”
Lucy Sommer, West Sussex, 21, Sales Assistant
“Everyone is entitled to enrol on a beauty pageant if they want to; if they feel it brings them fulfilment.”
Philip Kenny, Manchester, 26, Dental Student
“They are the personification of misogyny.”
Lynne Horan, Cardiff, 60, Retired
“I’m not particularly bothered about them. I don’t watch them and I have no desire to watch them.”
Vickie Pathy, Cardiff, 48, Teaching Assistant
“The first thing that comes to my mind is- why would you? You can be beautiful but why do you have to walk around in your bikini? I think it’s about 40 years out of date. It’s desperate.”
Clare O’Connell, Cardiff, 23, Structural Engineer
“I think they are superficial. Contestants say what they think people want to hear, not what they actually believe. It’s cliquey between a group of people with the same shallow ideals.”