With more women taking charge, pageant franchise Mrs Queen of the World Sarawak hopes to highlight the contribution of women despite their ‘Mrs’ status within the community, while also elevating their values in society.
A step towards something greater
There is so much more to a woman than just looks. When a woman is poised with elegance and grace, she can also emanate the wisdom to take on the world. Believing that there is more to every woman, the pageant, Mrs Queen of the World Sarawak (QOTWS), continues to inspire, encourage and empower married women to take a step forward.
Sharing further, the pageant’s state director, Nida Hamid, said that the pageant also aims to empower more women to not only seek beauty, but the whole package. “It does not mean that if you don’t have the perfect look, then you can’t be called Queen of the World. Rather, our goal is to obtain the unique narrative that is seldom heard and read about all the time.
“Such stories are those of mothers who overcome a great deal of adversity to achieve personal success in spite of their obstacles. We want them to be more driven, have a stronger sense of self-worth, and be able to motivate and inspire other women,” she continued.
Originating from the United States, this year’s QOTW marks the first edition that it is held in Malaysia. Ten finalists from Sarawak were selected to compete at the national level. In 2024, the reigning queen will have the opportunity to represent the country in the international arena.
The pageant, which focuses on women with the title ‘Mrs’, believes that a woman’s journey does not end when she gets married and has kids. Rather, it allows the woman to thrive in many facets of life, regardless of the many hats she wears.
Nida believed that by opening up the competition to participants from Sarawak, Malaysia would be represented by a diverse group of women. Taking place from October 14 to October 20, the pageant week featured training such as cat walking, grooming, deportment and public speaking.
The Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), the event’s primary sponsor, also provided training on culture and history and discussions on entrepreneurship and leadership for the QOTWS participants. Coronation night for the Sarawak level is slated to be held on October 21, while the top three winners from Sarawak will be competing at the national level on October 27 in Kuala Lumpur.
The international pageant, which will be held next year, will see participants from countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Japan, Norway, Canada and others competing for the crown. QOTWS will focus on culture and heritage while tapping into Sarawak roots.
Beauty pageants, a stepping stone
During the interview with New Sarawak Tribune, pageant coach Fiona Keith said that beauty pageants can open up a lot of doors for their participants. “It can be a platform rather than an end game. You don’t join merely to win the crown.
“What’s more valuable is the training that you will go through. Winning the crown is a bonus. Of course, it is nice to represent the state on a national or international level, but on a personal level, it’s what you gain out of it and beyond it. These are the opportunities we want to extend to married women,” said the third-runner-up of Mrs Malaysia International World 2023.
She saw the situation in which women are unable to speak up since doing so gives the impression that they are trying to assert their dominance. “Generally, people think that women should be the weaker gender; we should be the ones to reserve all our comments. But things have changed.
“It is not that we want to take over the world; many believe that a woman should just take care of her family at home, earn only enough to maintain her family, and stay at home with the children. But then, they forgot that a woman is also a human; she has her own dreams.”
Fiona believed that obtaining the title ‘Mrs’ should not be the end. According to her, being married represents a fresh start and a step towards something greater. “Hence, you’ll need to hone some skills to excel further.”
Meanwhile, the event organiser for QOTWS Malaysia 2023, Sharifah Azizah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, added that adding value to oneself is the only way to acknowledge their self-worth, which naturally raises their self-esteem.
“And that is what this pageant is all about. It’s not just about the looks.”
For more information, do visit their social media on Facebook at ‘Queen of the World Sarawak Malaysia’ or Instagram at @queenoftheworldkch.
