Asim DebThe Insights of Miss World Contest
© Asim Deb
Young women who aspire to win the title of Miss World have the question in their minds: How to become the Miss World? One should be aware that the most important criteria for the Miss World crown is “Beauty with a Purpose” (BWAP), and not just the facial beauty or physical appearance. So, women who wish to win must get engaged for significant time in social services, environmental awareness, or so. To add, their thought process should be socially feasible, quick to implement, wide and easily understood. Point to be noted that only an attractive physical appearance or facial beauty cannot help candidates win the competition.
Before going further, let’s respond to a common question that comes in the mind of millions of people: what’s the differences between Miss World and Miss Universe? Yes, there is a significant difference. While Miss Universe have rounds like swimsuits and evening gowns, the Miss World does not have a swimsuit competition and has more conservative, traditional rules.
Anyway, Miss World and Miss Universe are the two most prestigious international beauty pageants, with key differences in focus and origin. Miss World (founded 1951, London) centers on philanthropy and commitment to social services through “Beauty with a Purpose,” (BWAP) while Miss Universe (founded 1952, USA) emphasizes on self confidence, physical beauty, glamour, and “Confidently Beautiful” empowerment.
In Jury rounds, all the candidates will have to present themselves in front of the jury members for talent show, question-and-answer, ramp walk, and other rounds. Candidates qualifying through the interview round will become the finalists.
Competition Areas & Fast Tracks:
• Head-to-Head Challenge: Presentation and interview skills.
• Talent: Showcasing a specific skill (e.g., singing, dancing).
• Health: Fitness and physical ability.
• Top Model: Fashion and poise.
• Multimedia: Social media engagement and influence.
The Eligibility Criteria:
• Age: 17–27 years old (often 18-26 for national, e.g., US, qualifiers), unmarried and never married, and without children. Winners must also remain unmarried during their reign.
• A minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches (160 cm).
• Nationality: Citizen/resident of the country they represent. They must hold a valid passport, have no criminal record
• Platform: Must present a “Beauty with a Purpose (BWAP)” project.
• Applicants must also adhere to specific requirements set by their national franchise.
• In India, candidates should participate in the Femina Miss India Competition first, as preliminary screening.
While some other pageants have allowed married contestants, Miss World has maintained its strict rule that contestants must be single, never married and without children.
However, after 63 years, in the year 2014 when Miss World pageant has been featuring over 120 contestants competing for the crown, the organization’s chairwoman Julia Morley announced that Miss World will no longer feature a swimsuit round in their competition. “It’s beauty with a purpose, and not a beauty contest. There didn’t seem to be a purpose to have the swimsuit.” said Chris Wilmer, the national director of Miss World America / Miss United States organization. “She should be a spokesperson who can help a community,” Wilmer told ABC News. “She’s an ambassador, not a beauty queen. It’s more about the outreach and what a woman could do with a title like Miss World.”
On Dec. 14, 2014, Rolene Strauss of South Africa was crowned the 64th Miss World winner in London. It marked the final event featuring contestants wearing bikinis.
Now, with the progress of technology, video conferencing and web sharing the Ms World International pageant utilizes a virtual judging platform. Each phase of competition will consist of up to 50 judges from multiple continents from around the world. These will be scored by an international judges’ panel viewing the contestants from multiple time zones, to encompass the highest standards of precision and accuracy.
Key Differences of Miss World and Miss Universe:
• Focus & Motto: Miss World emphasizes charitable work and humanitarian efforts (Beauty with a Purpose, BWAP), and ambassador for social upliftment, where as Miss Universe focuses more on self personality, charisma, TV and media appeal, and being an ambassador of change.
• Origin: Miss World began in 1951, making it the oldest, while Miss Universe started a year later in 1952.
• Headquarters: Miss World is based in London, UK, and Miss Universe is based in New York City, USA.
• Judge Focus: Miss World mostly focuses on inner maturity and social impact projects, whereas Miss Universe evaluates communication, poise, and confidence through rounds like swimsuits and evening gowns.
• Owner: Miss Universe Organization is currently owned by JKN Global Group, while Miss World Limited is run by Julia Morley.
Miss Universe is known for featuring a national costume runway, a swimsuit competition, evening-gown runway and a final Q&A round.
Evening Gown- 25% – wearing a formal evening gown of contestants’ choice
Fitness- 25% – wearing swimsuit of contestants’ choice.
Miss Universe is considered popular in Latin America, the United States, Canada and the Philippines. Miss World is better known in Europe, Asia and Africa. Neither Miss World nor Miss Universe is comparable as “bigger,” as they excel in different areas: Miss Universe is often seen as having greater global media reach (500M viewers in 190 countries) and higher prize value (salary, apartment), while Miss World is older (1951), often boasted more contestants, and emphasizes humanitarian with regional queens.
Similarities: Both are part of the “Big Four” international beauty pageants (including Miss Earth and Miss International), aiming to empower women and promote global unity.
1st Miss World Competition:
The 1st Miss World Competition was held on July 27, 1951 at the Lyceum Ballroom, London, United Kingdom, with 27 participants. It was a part of the Festival of Britain event aimed at promoting national culture and post-war renewal. It was a concept of Eric Morley, a former World War II captain in the Royal Army Service Corps who later worked as a sales manager for Mecca Dancing, a company that already organized small beauty contests across the United Kingdom to attract audiences to its dance halls. Originally titled “Girl Bikini Contest for the Festival of Britain,” the event was quickly nicknamed Miss World by journalists, a name that was soon officially adopted and registered.
With only five international contestants confirmed, Mecca organized a public casting call in London, selecting twenty-four British women along with one Mexican contestant who was studying in the UK, while additional participants came from Sweden, Denmark, France, Holland, and the United States.
The winner was Kerstin Håkansson, previously crowned The Prettiest Girl in Sweden. Both the first and the second runners-up were British, and France placed fourth. Håkansson, the winner, received £1,000, the equivalent of around £40,000 today, and went on to model for major Paris fashion houses such as Christian Dior and Hermès. Following the competition, she toured several European countries and, together with the other finalists, traveled across Great Britain to promote both Mecca and the newly established Miss World brand.
That was supposed to be that, but the following year, when a Miss Universe contest was announced in the United States, Morley was piqued and persuaded his bosses at Mecca to keep Miss World going. It has kept going ever since. By 1970, Morley’s wife Julia, an ex-beauty queen herself, joined him in organising the annual contests. By then, Miss World was attracting huge television audiences in almost every country in the world and making huge amounts of money for charity.
To counter accusations raised from conservative society that the show was equivalent to a female cattle market, the Morleys introduced questions and answers of a high-souled if stilted nature about each girl’s ambitions and intellectual achievements. Morley himself loved appearing every year to announce the results, ‘in reverse order’.
Morley became chairman of Mecca. He left in 1978, but he and his wife continued to run Miss World and he was an assiduous raiser of money for charity. British television dropped Miss World in 1988, but through other channels by 1997 it was attracting 2.5 billion viewers in 155 countries and Channel Five started covering it again in Britain in 1999. Morley died in 2000, aged eighty two.
In June 2022, Julia Morley was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in recognition of her charitable and voluntary services to disadvantaged people in the United Kingdom and across the globe.
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Now coming to the criteria of obligation that the pageant should be actively engaged in social services, and here are few examples:
Miss World Venezuela Mística Núñez works to combat child malnutrition in Falcón, through her project “Seeds of Life,” by transforming a preschool into a hub for nutrition, health, and community support. She also supports Mobile Unit for Women through Art Initiative. She joins Pana Rosa in creative event dedicated to women experiencing homelessness.
Miss World Uganda Muhoza Trivia Elle joins clean & green streets campaign in Kampala where downtown areas are revitalised through plantations and community cleanup drive.
Miss World Thailand Opal Suchata promotes women’s health at Central World, Bangkok, extending medical advice services, and preventive care.
Miss World Canada Alexa Marie Grant joins fundraising drive named Capes for Kids to support children’s disability healthcare, partnering with 180 hospitals and also children charities.
Miss World Malaysia Taanusiya Chetty leads Project Lestari Laut in Kampung Sungai Dua that brings education, health awareness and joy to Orang Asli children.
Miss World El Salvador Adriana Rivas champions mental health through BWAP campaign. She travels across all 14 departments of the country, using her personal story to break stigma and create safe spaces for emotional well-being.
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In India, the Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited (ABCL) hosted the 1996 Miss World contest in Bengaluru, that was marred by severe controversies, protests, and a swimsuit segment that had to be moved to Seychelles. Due to the backlash and financial mismanagement, the company sustained major losses.
However the 1996 edition of Miss World also made history for being the first with internet coverage. Miss World launched its official website that year, showcasing portraits of all candidates and providing fans everywhere with news updates. It was the beginning of a new era! Following BWAP program, the candidates spent time with local children and took part in a “Charity Dinner” event at the Windsor Manor Sheraton, helping to raise funds for the Karnataka Spastic Society. Miss World Greece (Miss Hellas), Irene Skliva, 18, was crowned Miss World 1996.
In 2025, Hyderabad was the host for 72nd edition of Miss World, the previous 2023 edition was held in India too, in Mumbai. Opal Suchata Chuangsri, born in Phuket, was from Thailand and being the first Thai woman to win the Miss World title, crowned at the 72nd Miss World Pageant. Smita Sabharwal, the former Special Chief Secretary of Youth Advancement, Tourism & Culture (YAT&C), explained the state’s tourism potential, from wildlife to the hills. “The government of Telangana is committed to making this festival a brand image for Telangana tourism,” she said.
Contestants from all the 116 countries visited the Thousand Pillar Temple, Warangal Fort, Yadagirigutta Temple, Ramappa Temple and other tourist attractions in rural Telangana, and also the handloom weaving village of Pochampally. Chief Minister Revanth has said that the Miss World 2025 contest should be held in such a way that “the image of Telangana draws the world’s attention.” Arches and hoardings were beautifully decorated throughout the city of Hyderabad…so that the buzz of Miss World was visible for all. The event was estimated at ₹54 crore, being equally shared by the Telangana Tourism Department and organizer of Miss World Limited. Telangana’s ₹27 crore was funded primarily from sponsorships.
So, like any international sports event, the host country for such contests always expect a boost in their national image, some development in their infrastructure, and also its tourism.
References:
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/first-miss-world-contest
https://www.missworld.com/history
https://www.missworld.com/beauty-with-a-purpose
https://www.msworldinternational.com/competition-info
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