generalspeaking

Profoundly Demeaning, Utterly Sexist, Male Primitivism

"We don't want a country with more violence."
"Tonight is not just about these 23 women. Tonight is about all of the women of our country who have rights and deserve respect."
Beauty pageant host, Peru

"I want to live to see political reform. I have no children and the country we live in keeps me from that dream."
"I want to have children and for them to live in a better Brazil than we live in today."
Rosie Oliveira, beauty pageant contestant, journalist, Brazil

Fifteen hopefuls gyrated their rotund rears as they competed for the crown    AFP

Brazil's 2017 Miss Bumbum beauty contest considered the derrieres of 27 contestants all eager to be named as winners in Sao Paulo. The search to identify the most perfect rear end in a country that leads the world in cosmetic buttocks lifts eventually resolved the issue when the crown was awarded to 28-year-old journalist and model from Amazonas, Rosie Oliveira. It is difficult to understand how any self-respecting woman would enter such a degrading contest. Even if it gave an opportunity to express political views not reflective of the mainstream.

South American males exemplify machismo and the objectification of women, rooted deeply within their patriarchies, where men feel entitled to demean and debase the humanity of half the world's population of females. A shocking degree of femicide takes place in South America. In Brazil, infamously, the most popular 'gift' given to young girls in their mid-teens is surgical cosmetics; breast implants.

The Miss Peru contest also took took place recently with 23 contestants lining up in glittering sequined mini-dresses, awaiting the opportunity to state their positions on public and social issues while vying for the title of Miss Peru. From various parts of Peru, the show began with a 'roll all' requiring the women to give their name, their region of the country, and their significant measurements of bust size, waist and hip measurements.

Clad in shimmering minidresses, the 23 contestants in this year's Miss Peru pageant each stated a fact about gender violence.  Alvaro Ugaz- Latina

"My name is Camila Canicoba Llaro" a woman from Lima stated. "My measurements are ... 2,202 cases of femicide reported in the last nine years in my country." Each of the women had their opportunity to list statistics highlighting the violence that women in their country face. "My measurements are 13,000 girls suffer from sexual abuse in our country", stated Luciana Fernandez. Another contestant noted that over 25 percent of girls and teens face abuse in schools.

Peru registered some 13,000 female trafficking victims up to 2014, pointed out another. Every ten minutes a girl dies as a result of sexual exploitation in Peru; 65 percent of university women face assault by their partners. Twitter was awash with the hashtag #MisMedidasSon (my measurements are) occasioning responses congratulating the defiant, accusing women.

The recently crowned Miss Bumbum was groped by a man at the contest who was under the influence of alcohol, following her victory. She slapped him, then turned to her interviewer to continue her statements: "What he did is machismo and that's exactly what I want to fight. Just because I'm Miss Bumbum doesn't mean I can be disrespected", she stated emphatically.

Unfortunately, however, it means just that.

Labels: Female Exploitation, Latin America, Sexism

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, November 09, 2017