In recent years, beauty pageants have continuously made strides in inclusivity. One example of this is Miss Universe's announcement of the removal of its age limit in 2023. "This change will apply for all 2024 pageants globally. Starting then, every adult woman in the world will be eligible to compete to be Miss Universe," the organization stated on their Instagram. Previously, the institution imposed an age limit of 28 for its contestants, which greatly restricted potential competitors from joining.
READ MORE: Miss Universe Eliminates Age Limits, Making All Adult Women Eligible for 2024 Pageants
Catriona Gray was recently asked about her thoughts on Jocelyn Cubales, a 69-year-old contestant who joined Miss Universe Philippines-Quezon City, and of course, Cat being Cat, gave a ~*winning*~, beauty pageant-worthy response!
Catriona Gray Shares Her Thoughts On 69-Year-Old Miss Universe PH-Quezon City Contestant
"I think it's wonderful" was Catriona's response when asked about her reaction to Jocelyn joining the MUPH-QC competition.
According to Catriona, since time immemorial, age has always been used against women—most especially in the context of beauty pageants.
"As a woman, I feel like age is usually used to like, limit us and our potential," she shared.
"There are terms always thrown at women, like, 'Oh, your biological clock is ticking' or 'Time is running out' or 'These are your prime years,' mga ganyan."
She lauded Jocelyn for continuing to pursue her dream despite not being the "typical" age for a beauty queen. "So just to see a woman who is unapologetically going after her dream... and it may not look like something we've seen before, but why not?"
"She's enjoying herself, she's representing her community, and I think those are all great things," she concluded.
However, Catriona understands that there are netizens who may not share the same views when it comes to women older than 28 joining beauty pageants. She likened pageantry to sports, which are usually bound by tradition.
"We've come across many things that are considered 'traditional,' and so as the rules are starting to be lifted, I can understand why that angers some people or rubs them the wrong way... I understand people who may have a traditional sense like, 'Oh, we just want a fashion show with great-looking women,'" she noted.
Cat emphasized that more than just being a competition, beauty pageants serve as a great way for women to talk about causes near and dear to their hearts. "I'm a fan of pageantry but I also love what pageantry stands for. It gave me a platform to talk about my cause work, which is why I wanted to go there," she explained.
"It gives other women a platform to talk about what they want, to showcase something, to represent someone, a community, or something about themselves. And so I see pageantry as a lens of that—not just beautiful women who are fit, who are walking on stage."
We're right there with you, Cat!
