Woman Challenges Rules Excluding Mothers from Miss America and Miss World Pageants

By BlogsHorizon

A woman from New York is taking a stand against the longstanding regulations of the Miss America and Miss World pageants that bar mothers from competing.

Danielle Hazel shared on Monday that she has always aspired to participate in these competitions but felt crushed upon discovering that her status as a mother, having had a son at 19, disqualified her. “When I explained these rules to my 6-year-old son, Zion, he immediately reacted by saying they were stupid,” Hazel remarked at the Women’s Rights Pioneers Monument in Central Park. “His sense of fairness shows that this is unfair and illogical.”

Hazel's attorney, Gloria Allred, announced that they filed a complaint with the city’s Commission on Human Rights, urging an end to these exclusionary rules that deny mothers an “important cultural and business opportunity” solely based on their parental status.

“All we’re asking is to recognize that this exclusion is demeaning, rooted in outdated stereotypes that suggest women cannot be both mothers and embody qualities like beauty, poise, talent, and philanthropy,” Allred stated.

At a news conference on September 16, 2024, Allred stood alongside Hazel and Veronika Didusenko. While representatives from Miss America and Miss World have not yet commented, a spokesperson for the human rights commission indicated that they do not discuss ongoing investigations.

Allred pointed out her previous success in contesting similar rules, referencing a case involving a California mother who was denied entry to the Miss California pageant. This legal challenge led to Miss Universe abolishing its 70-year-old global ban on mothers.

“Being a parent should not disqualify someone from professional opportunities,” Allred emphasized. “No one should feel embarrassed or degraded because they are a parent.”

Joining Hazel at the press event was Veronika Didusenko, who was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018 but lost her title upon the Miss World organization discovering she had a child. Didusenko, who has since founded an organization advocating for the removal of bans on mothers in beauty pageants, stated that she lost her legal battle in Ukraine but is now seeking justice through the European Court of Human Rights.