The annual beauty pageant locally known as ‘Miss Rwanda’ was suspended last year after investigations were launched into sexual abuse allegations of contestants levelled against the CEO of Rwanda Inspiration Backup. This raised concerns over what would become of potential beauty queens since the competition gave several girls a platform to showcase their talents and projects, and an opportunity to grace international stages. ALSO READ: Miss Rwanda Pageant temporarily suspended amid investigations However, some Rwandan beauty queens have since made it various international stages. This, they say, has been made possible by collaborating with international talent agencies and using their social media presence to connect with organizers of global pageants. ALSO READ: What is the future of Miss Rwanda competition? Michelle Ishimwe, a Rwandan beauty queen, was scheduled to represent her country in the Miss Global Heritage pageant in South Africa in September, after more than 400 girls from Rwanda submitted their entries and was fortunate to be among the selected contestants. Another example is Sylvie Isimbi, who recently returned from China to compete in Miss Friendship International, where she won four titles. Her journey to the international competition happened because of her association with Embrace Afrika, an organization dedicated to empowering young women from different countries, enabling them to participate in beauty pageants and international fashion shows. “They spotted my Instagram photos and catwalk videos and the selection team approved. I was immediately shortlisted for the competition,” she shared. Her journey was marked by a couple of recorded achievements, including a 1st runner-up position at Miss Super Model and securing a spot in the top 10 and top 20 at the competitive pageant but her most significant victory was being crowned as Miss Friendship International Africa. Paulette Ndekwe Igiraneza, another pageant who is gearing up to compete in Miss Cosmopolitan World, which is happening on November 29, in Malaysia, said she always dreamt of representing the country internationally and her family has been very supportive. “Miss Cosmo World chooses country representatives based on three things: beauty, body, and brain. We had video meetings with experienced judges and were requested to submit videos, pictures, and other details as part of the selection process,” she said. She added: “Choosing the country's representative is tough, and some people didn't make it because they didn't meet the criteria. It's a bit expensive to participate, and contestants have to cover their own costs for things like participation and flight fees.” Speaking to The New Times, Robert Masozera, the Director General of Rwanda Culture Heritage Academy (RCHA), shed light on the status of beauty pageants in Rwanda. “For the time being, as long as beauty contests in Rwanda are suspended, we have nothing to do with the organisation of various international beauty contests and we are therefore not involved in the selection and participation of young Rwandan girls who take part in them,” he said. “This being said, girls who participate in these contests do so at their own risk, adding that, this is why we always advise them to be careful and attentive, as we have received many negative comments about these beauty contests from several participants who have attended these contests at different times,” he added. “We do not want anything dangerous to happen to them because of their negligence.”
