The search of the girl who will succeed reigning Miss Rwanda Naomie Nishimwe will soon be underway. Organised by Rwanda Inspiration Backup, next year’s pageant -- the ninth edition -- is scheduled to be launched officially on Friday, December 11. From giving scholarships to easing age and size limit, some key changes are expected to be made this time round, said Dieudonne Ishimwe, the brains behind the beauty pageant. Some criteria however, remains unchanged such as young women aspiring to participate at the upcoming beauty pageant should be Rwandan by Nationality as shown by ID card or Passport, or has at least a secondary school graduate. They should also not have given birth before and must be prepared not to get married during her reign. Although, she can be in a relationship. Here is what you should know about Miss Rwanda 2021: Weight and height criteria At the moment, weight and height will not be an issue for contestants any longer. Any young woman will be allowed to participate in Miss Rwanda 2021 as long as they are in a healthy range Body Mass Index (BMI). Before, only aspirants with a minimum height of 1.70 m and a maximum weight of 70 kg were allowed to participate. “We adopted the new measures to dispel confusion from the public that the beauty contest is only for slim and tall young women. As long as one’s healthy and fit, we are ready to let her participate,” Ishimwe explained. Top 20 contestants to get scholarships For the first time in the history of the beauty pageant, every contestant who will make it into the top 20 and progresses to the boot camp will be guaranteed a university scholarship. The development was made, according to organisers, to ensure that young women are empowered. Number of prize winners to increase The contest normally rewards only seven contestants namely, overall Miss Rwanda, the first and second runners up, Miss Photogenic, Miss Congeniality, Miss Heritage and Miss Popularity. Organisers announced that at least nine finalists will be able to take a prize home. Age limit eased Previously, the age range for the Miss Rwanda contestants was 18-24 years of age. However, the age limit was eased this time round, to 28 years of age to maintain the maturity of contestants. “Whether you’re a secondary or university graduate or even pursuing your masters’ degree, the contest is open for all,” Ishimwe said. Auditions According to the contest’s schedule, the auditions for Miss Rwanda 2021 will kick off in Rubavu on January 09 to select Western Province representatives. The auditions will shift to Musanze, Northern Province a week later, before heading to Huye on January 23 to select contestants who will represent the Southern Province. The upcountry auditions will close on January 30 with a selection of Eastern Province representatives in Kayonza District before closing the auditions in Kigali on February 6. The winner for Miss Rwanda 2021 will be announced at the grand finale slated for March 20.
