New beauty pageant in Singapore picks ladies with a cause
A new beauty pageant was launched in Singapore on Friday, focusing not only on beauty but on social causes as well.
In a press conference at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Vanessa Tan, organiser and director of Vanessaism Inc., said that “Miss Singapore Global 2013” aims to raise funds for a social enterprise called “Mother and Child Project”.
The inaugural beauty contest, which is slated for 31 August, will see Victoria Secret-inspired “wings” worn by the finalists during the pageant and auctioned off. The accessories were handmade by the people involved in the enterprise.
Through “word-of-mouth” as well as through a “recruitment drive” which took place in March, nine ladies have already been chosen to be finalists from a field of 40, Tan said.
The finalists were mainly chosen based on their involvement in various social causes, she explained.
“It is not so much about the outer beauty because that can be improved easily,” she said.
Besides having a judging panel, the winner will also be determined by public votes as well as the number of Facebook “likes” they get from their individual fan pages.
When Yahoo! Singapore asked about what they would do when faced with negative public feedback, something that Singapore-based pageants are prone to experience, Tan said, “We will not respond…we will let the ladies walk the talk.”
Tan was also the pageant winner of Mrs Singapore Global 2011, and had been involved in social work as well, said she would like to “raise the standards” of pageants in Singapore.
Many of the finalists decided to be a part of Miss Singapore Global to help give back to the society. Some of them are already involved in various social causes such as helping children with divorced parents, people suffering from emotional bullying and extreme poverty.
“Growing up was hard when my parents were divorced. It was emotionally challenging especially when you have to go through puberty as well,” said administration executive, Jolyn Wong, 22, adding that she would like to help children who experienced the same plight as her.
Management consultant, Jennifer Ruth Huang, 26, said, “I would like to help people suffering from extreme poverty especially in countries facing major income inequalities such as Cambodia and Thailand.”
