46-year-old competes for Miss Universe Ecuador crown as pageant’s oldest participant | CNN (2024)

CNN

Ecuadormay have a 46-year-old woman representing the small Andean nation in the Miss Universe beauty pageant later this year.

Yajaira Quizhpi – who represents the Sierra region – is vying for the national title of Miss Universe Ecuador.

This Saturday, she and 24 other contestants will compete at the pageant’s final in Machala, in the El Oro province. The winner will go on to represent Ecuador at the Miss Universe competition in Mexico in September.

Quizhpi is the oldest woman inthe country’s history to participate in the contest organized by the Miss Universe franchise.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 10: (L-R) Miss Teen USA 2023, UmaSofia Srivastava and Miss USA 2023, Noelia Voigt attend Supermodels Unlimited Magazine Presents: Billboards Over Broadway - NYFW Celebrity Event at Nebula Nightclub on February 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Supermodels Unlimited) Craig Barritt/Getty Images Related article Shock Miss USA resignations are just the tip of the iceberg, insiders say

“I feel proud to be allowed to be here. We have broken barriers and, as women, we can take a step forward without fear of what they will say,” she told CNN en Español in a video interview.

Her quest has only become a reality after the Miss Universe organization changed its rules related to age. Previously, contestants had to be between the ages of 18 and 28. As of 2024, there is no upper age limit.

“The experience has been rewarding. It has enriched me personally. My husband and my son have supported me. My husband was the person who encouraged me to register and be part of this candidacy today,” she added.

Quizhpi is a chemical engineer who was born in Azogues, in the province of Cañar.

She says fellow contestants have supported her and that the fear of criticism can be overcome with determination and sincere friendship.

“They (other contestants) have received me with great affection, I have seen camaraderie, we have learned from each other, from positive and negative experiences. I thank my colleagues who have always been very fond of me. It has been a great life lesson,” she said.

Quizhpi isn’t the only contestant who wouldn’t have been able to participate before recent changes in Miss Universe’s rules were introduced in 2023.

For the first time in its more than 70-year-history, the franchise green-lit the participation of women who are married or divorced and who have given birth or are pregnant. Of the 25 contestants for Miss Universe Ecuador, seven participants are mothers – four are married and the other three are divorced.

In a screengrab taken from a video, Chelsea Manalo is crowned as Miss Universe Philippines. Empire TV Philippines/ YouTube Related article First Black Filipino woman crowned as Miss Universe Philippines

29-year-old contestant Daysi Laman, who is divorced with three children, says the pageant is making great strides and expresses support for Quizhpi.

“She is one of the most experienced colleagues, not only because of her age. She is a beautiful woman, a capable and intelligent human being. We get along well. I admire (her) bravery,” she said in a video call.

Another participant, 29-year-old Carolina Cobo, is a single mother of a seven-year-old girl. She says that beauty is subjective and that the new rules of the contest are helping combat social stigmas.

“We don’t have to lock women into the idea that if they are a certain age, they can no longer do certain things or because they are a mother. We continue to be women with a dream, with a message and a life intention,” said Cobo in a video interview, who represents the province of Pichincha.

Miss Universe Buenos Aires 2024 Alejandra Rodriguez competes during the final of the Miss Universe Argentina beauty contest in Buenos Aires on May 25, 2024. Alejandra Rodriguez, a 60-year-old lawyer, has become the first to win a Miss Universe franchise contest at the age of 60, managing to qualify for the Top 15 of Miss Universe Argentina. The winner was the representative of the province of Cordoba, Magaly Benejam, 29, who will represent Argentina in Miss Universe International 2024 to be held in Mexico next September. Luis Robayo/AFP/Getty Images Related article 60-year-old Miss Buenos Aires says change is coming as Miss Universe run comes to an end

This isn’t the first time in Latin America that a beauty pageant contestant’s age has drawn attention.

In April, Alejandra Rodriguez made headlines across the world when she was crowned Miss Buenos Aires, becoming the first sexagenarian to win a contest organized by the Miss Universe franchise. While Rodriguez’s Miss Universe run ended in May when she wasn’t selected to represent Argentina,she told CNN that her participation was “the first step of a change that is coming.”

The Miss Universe organization has come under scrutiny in recent weeks, as the parent company of Miss USA. In May, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA resigned within days of one another amid allegations of mismanagement, toxicity and conditions that impacted their mental health.

46-year-old competes for Miss Universe Ecuador crown as pageant’s oldest participant | CNN (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Neely Ledner

Last Updated:

Views: 6529

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (42 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Neely Ledner

Birthday: 1998-06-09

Address: 443 Barrows Terrace, New Jodyberg, CO 57462-5329

Phone: +2433516856029

Job: Central Legal Facilitator

Hobby: Backpacking, Jogging, Magic, Driving, Macrame, Embroidery, Foraging

Introduction: My name is Neely Ledner, I am a bright, determined, beautiful, adventurous, adventurous, spotless, calm person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.