Beauty queen banned from Miss World because she is a mother
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Beauty queen banned from Miss World because she is a mother

Updated | By Breakfast with Martin Bester

Model and beauty queen Veronika Didusenko was banned from taking part in the beauty pageant because she has a child and was once married. 

Miss World Ukriane
Instagram / veronika_didusenko

Veronika Didusenko, 24, is allegedly taking legal action against the Miss World organisation after being banned from taking part in the competition because she is divorced and has a five-year-old son. 

In 2018, Didusenko won Miss Ukraine and planned to represent the country at Miss World, but she was banned because of the rules of the pageant.

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The rules for the Miss World pageant state that you cannot be married, divorced, pregnant or have any children when entering the competition and throughout your reign should you win. 

"In 2018 this is simply not right. This discrimination on the grounds of motherhood must end," Didusenko mentioned in her Instagram post. 

Didusenko is now fighting for herself and the rights of mothers. 

View this post on Instagram

My name is Veronika. Not such a long time ago I was wearing a crown of Miss Ukraine 2018, a crown which would allow me to represent my country at the Miss World contest in China. I wanted to tell the world a unique story of my country – home of truly heroic and freedom-loving people. Yet, my right to represent my country on the global scene was taken away from me because of the rules written 70 years ago. The archaic rules which ban mothers from the Miss Ukraine contest. The discriminatory rules which were written when racial segregation was still the norm. Worldwide the number of girls who participate in this contest amounts to millions. Millions of women are allowed to participate only if they don’t have children. In 2018 this is simply not right. This discrimination on the grounds of motherhood must end. This indirect encouragement of abortion must end. I AM LAUNCHING A FUNDRAISING COMPAIGN to deliver this message globally. With your help I will take the fight for the abolition of this disgraceful prehistoric rule to every major global capital. Time to stand up for a women’s right not to be punished for being a mother. We must eliminate the last remaining rule which discriminates against women with children. #righttobeamother🌎

A post shared by Veronika Didusenko (@veronika_didusenko) on

Liesl Laurie, former Miss SA and Miss World Top 10 finalist, weighed in on the topic. 

"There are always rules - and if you don't meet the criteria one should not enter the competition."

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