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Pageants put pressure on girls: Activist

While Rolene Strauss's crowning moment as Miss World has been hailed as inspirational, pageants could have the opposite effect, according to a gender activist.

"The question one has to ask is inspirational in what way," Gender Links's Kubi Rama said on Monday.

"Do we really want young girls to aspire to be Miss World given the high levels of eating disorders and image problems?"

Celebrating beauty put pressure on women to look a certain way, she said.

Strauss, of Volksrust in Mpumalanga, was crowned Miss World 2014 in London on Sunday.

During an interview with the Press Association in London following her crowning, Strauss said she would make South Africa proud.

"It does not only feel like I was only crowned Miss World, it feels like the whole of South Africa was crowned as well," she said.

"They really waited so long for this. I really hope and I believe I will make them proud."

The last South African to win the title was Anneline Kriel in 1974.

Many have called into question whether beauty pageants such as Miss World are still relevant.

Former Miss South Africa Nicole Flint believes are: "I absolutely believe that beauty pageants are still relevant, raising the profile of South Africa on the world stage as is evident with the recent crowning of Rolene Strauss in Miss World 2014.

"It also empowers young women and encourages others to aspire to their own success, realising their own true potential."

However, Rama disagreed.

"What part do they play except to perpetuate stereotypes that women should be appreciated for physical attributes," she said.

Rama questioned by whose standards someone was considered beautiful.

"Is that what we want young girls to do, become beauty queens?"

Many on social networking sites called Strauss inspirational.

"We all aspire to achieve in different ways," said a Facebook user.

"We can all make a difference in different ways. I think anyone who achieves their goals is inspiring."

Others said it was inspirational because Miss World was not only about beauty as the winner did a lot of charity work.

Others disagreed, saying the existence of beauty pageants could not be justified because of charity work, and if that was the case why not celebrate charity work and leave out the beauty part.

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