Beauty pageant faces lawsuit over alleged appearance discrimination
A feminist organization is suing Miss France for alleged appearance discrimination after three failed beauty pageant contestants joined the group. The three women joined the group “Osez le feminisme” (Dare to be a feminist) and specifically said that the target of their lawsuit would be the beauty pageant and Endemol Production, which organizes the annual telecast of the pageant on the TF1 channel.
Three previous contestants were unsuccessful. After realizing that their previous attempts to be heard had failed, they began working with a feminist group to file a complaint against Miss France. The lawsuit alleges that Miss France violates French labor regulations by requiring beauty queens to be single, at least 5 feet 5.5 inches tall and be “representatives of beauty.” There is no requirement for contestants to lose weight or change their hairstyles, and they are not allowed to have any piercings other than ears.
In the past, contestants have been disqualified from the competition for conduct deemed “contrary to good morals, public order or the spirit of the competition, which is based on the values of elegance”.
According to Violaine De Filippis-Abate, a lawyer with Osez le feminisme who spoke to AFP, employers in France are prohibited from discriminating in France under the country’s labor rules on the basis of “morality, age, marital status or physical appearance”. Beauty pageants differentiate based on all of these factors and more.
If the judges decide that the beauty pageant and said TV business are employers or not, the lawsuit may succeed. If they are considered employers, they will be clearly in breach of French labor rules. They might be able to continue as they are if the beauty pageant is not seen as a job.
Competitors do not sign an employment contract. However, plaintiffs in the lawsuit discovered a 2013 ruling to support their claims that they were treated unfairly by the French beauty pageant.
Miss France turned 100 years old this year. The beauty pageant is seen by critics as outdated and a remnant of s*xism from a previous period of French culture. Nevertheless, the beauty pageant is a very popular television program in France. The final nationwide vote for the winner will be shown to millions of viewers on TF1 television in December.
Alyssa Ahrabare, head of Dare to be Feminist, lamented that despite the annual protests against this platform for s*xist ideals, nothing has changed. “We decided to advance the cause of women through the law.
While contestants are still required to appear on stage in bikinis and ball gowns, Miss France says she has overcome her misogynistic history.
The Miss France organization declined to respond when contacted by the media for comment. Sylvie Tellier, winner of Miss France 2002, is currently in charge (see above). The tournament, the Daily Telegraph claimed, supports women’s rights.
“You can be a feminist and march in a bathing suit. We don’t live in an age of ‘look pretty and shut up’ anymore,” Tellier says.
The names of the three past candidates who are involved in this case are not known.
As the legal battle plays out, it raises significant questions about the intersection of beauty pageants, gender equality and labor law in contemporary society. The outcome of this case could potentially set a precedent for the treatment of beauty pageant contestants in France and beyond. It remains to be seen whether Miss France will adapt to changing societal norms or continue to face scrutiny over her practices.
