. . WOMEN’S EQUALITY . .
An article from Radio France International
Beauty pageants in Burkina Faso have come to a halt. On Monday, June 8, the Ministry of Culture announced the suspension of all such competitions pending a review of how they are managed. Authorities cite the need to uphold national cultural values and to align these events with the ideals of the popular progressive revolution.
Noélie Congo Salouka, Director General of Culture and Arts for Burkina Faso. © Facebook/Ministry of Communication, Culture, Arts and Tourism of Burkina Faso
Beauty queens and pageant contestants will no longer appear on stage in Burkina Faso until further notice. The authorities’ goal is to preserve “Burkinabe cultural identity” and “ensure respect for moral values.”
(Article continued in right column)
Protecting women and girls against violence, Is progress being made?
The new military governments in Africa: Are they promoting a culture of peace?
(Article continued from left column)
In her statement, Noélie Congo Salouka, Director General of Culture and Arts, explains that this pause is intended to allow for a review of the regulatory framework governing these events, with the aim of imposing stricter controls on their organization. In the meantime, no further permits will be issued.
Criticism
However, within the events sector, the decision came as no surprise. In recent months, beauty pageants had drawn increasing criticism, with some members of the public faulting them for focusing solely on the physical appearance of young women. Sponsors had also become scarcer, putting organizers in financial difficulty.
The fact remains that this suspension threatens to destabilize an entire economic ecosystem: communication agencies, stylists, fashion designers, artists, and performance venues will all be affected while the authorities define a new framework for these competitions.
– – – – – –
If you wish to make a comment on this article, you may write to coordinator@cpnn-world.org with the title “Comment on (name of article)” and we will put your comment on line. Because of the flood of spam, we have discontinued the direct application of comments.