In the wake of Miss Nepal pageants throughout the years, two points are seemingly constant. The first pertains to participants calling the pageants a desirable platform, and second is the Q&A round on the very relevant subject of women empowerment. It then doesn’t appear fitting that participants on said platforms are not seriously utilising live prime time talking about their own struggles as women, sharing with numerous people, especially young girls watching, challenges women regularly face and reminding them that they are not alone.

This is hardly an overwhelming expectation, excuses of the candid nature of the pageant round does not apply here. The message is in realising the strength of personal storytelling, and this realisation should ideally settle in much before one embarks on the journey of the pageant.

As for challenges, there are many. They range from women being patronised for their opinions during both formal and informal debates, being told what they should and shouldn’t do, young girls unable to deny the advancements of men for fear of consequences -- such fears range from character assassination to bodily harm to the shudder inducing. “But I didn’t want to appear rude” claim I hear from so many young girls.

What then about women who are further subjugated by unreasonable societal standards, domestic violence, sexual orientation, gender norms, ethnicity, trafficking, sex workers struggling for dignity and women locked up by abusive forces. Even further, there are stigmas attached to premarital pregnant woman, divorced women, menstruating women, working women, unmarried women, housewives, outspoken women, demure women, women dressing a certain way, and the list goes on.

The above by no means intends to demean the institution of beauty pageants, nor is it attacking courageous women who participate in them.

Despite flaws of beauty pageants, they have captivated men and women. They are what they claim, a celebration of beautiful women inside and out who are the epitome of grace, and through whom important societal messages were later expected to be conveyed. Beauty pageants are evolving and we ought to encourage their transformation.

If it is a question of women empowerment, it ought to begin simply, through sharing personal stories and small victories in such events.