Miss Universe gets rid of age limits for contestants

Miss Universe now welcomes women of all ages.

In a new change, the Miss Universe Organization, through reigning queen R’Bonney Gabriel, announced that it has now removed the age restriction for delegates over 18 years old across all Miss Universe and associated pageants. Previously, only women aged up to 28 years old could join the pageant.

R'Bonney told WWD at New York Fashion Week that the organization is looking for ways "to be more inclusive."

“What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they’ve designed for us,” Gabriel exclusively told WWD. “It’s a bold group of women in charge over here, and you know what, a lot of people tend to follow what we do — it’s nice to be a standard-bearer, and I’m proud that we get to do this.”

The Fil-Am fashion designer also recalled bringing up the issue about age during the Miss Universe pageant last January. She argued that a woman's ability to compete in Miss Universe should not be defined by her age.

“I answered an onstage question: ‘If you were going to make any changes to the organization’s rules, what would they be?’ I said to raise the age limit. When I competed, the age limit was 28, and I was 28 at the time. So, my answer was that I think we should change this — a woman’s ability to compete at Miss Universe, or anything in life, shouldn’t be defined by her age. Age should just be a number,” she said.

The age limit change is said to be effective for 2024 pageants worldwide.

Previously, the organization opened the pageant to mothers, wives, and divorced women.

"The feedback was overwhelming that we all believe women should have agency over their lives, and that a human's personal decisions should not be a barrier to their success," former Miss Universe CEO Amy Emmerich said in a memo.