After 93 years of existence, Miss Germany has decided that there will be no man in the jury this year. The competition wants to judge the candidates mainly on their personality. The Times reports.
However, in a sign that beauty is still one of the most dominating factors in the competition, the contest only allows women between the ages of 18 and 39 to apply, a policy that may come across as ageist.
The motto of this year's Miss Germany is “Empowering Authentic Women”. Next month, the all-women jury will judge the 16 entrants on their personality and life story.
The female jury does not mean that there will be no more men in the future juries, said Max Klemmer, the chief executive of the Miss Germany Corporation. However, any man who would like to become a juror will be screened to prove they back the new competition concept.
This year, karate fighter Anna Lewandowska, TV host Frauke Ludowig, and former CSU politician Dagmar Wöhrl are set to look for Germany's most beautiful woman.
Last year, Miss Germany abolished its swimsuit competition. Participants are instead supposed to reveal their personality, the chief of the competition said. Instead of a swimsuit, the candidates presented themselves in summer clothing.
The Berlin Spectator describes how Miss Germany has been changing lately. In general, beauty contests are more about personalities and life stories, although the beauty aspect is still important.
This year's Miss Germany wants to show that women participating in such contests are no less emancipated than any other. It is thus becoming more "modern and politically correct".
There are 16 federal states in Germany, which corresponds to the number of candidates. Each of them represents one country.
Miss Universe is now experimenting with a concept similar to the German one.
At the end of last year, the international contest announced that for the first time in its history, the jury of the upcoming year would also consist of women only.
The panel of judges consists of businesswomen, business leaders, and experts in various fields. The competition management said in a statement that former holders of the Miss Universe title would also be part of the decision-making process.
