Get to know the Filipino Mrs. Universe 2023 winner, Meranie Gadiana Rahman
Pinay beauty queen Meranie Gadiana Raman, who represented Hawaii, was hailed the winner at the 46th Mrs. Universe.
The beauty queen said in an interview with Philstar.com that she was overwhelmed with her coronation, especially because it was five long years in the making.
“I have very mixed feelings. I am proud, emotional and honored at the same time. I have been competing for the last five years, sometimes winning and sometimes losing. However, I always took my loss as stairway to success by not giving up and by working harder toward my dream to win one of the most prestigious titles in the pageantry,” Meranie told the outlet.
She was crowned on Monday, Oct. 9 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, besting other 96 candidates from all over the world. She overtook first runner-up Mrs. India, who is followed by Philippine bet Arlene Cris Damot.
“Now I have won this prestigious title Mrs. Universe, and I am the first Filipina to win in the 46 years history of Mrs. Universe. I just cannot control tears of gratitude falling from my eyes,” she added.
Before making history as a beauty queen, Meranie is first and foremost a mother, wife, and advocate.
The seasoned Mindanaoan beauty queen was born in Misamis Oriental. She later moved to Cagayan de Oro to study and earn her bachelor’s degree in Hotel, Restaurant Management, and Tourism.
She eventually started her own family in Hawaii with her husband and pageant coach, Dr. Iman Rahman from Pakistan, with whom she shares their six-year-old son Jaleel.
She has always been passionate about joining pageants
After working as a runway and print model, Meranie brought her passion for fashion to another stage by joining pageants, carrying her advocacies.
Before clinching the prestigious title, this Pinay beauty queen has been to many pageants for the past years, wearing different countries as her sash.
Some of her notable pageant stints is winning the Mrs. Philippines World in 2019. In the same year, she competed in the Mrs. World pageant in Las Vegas, Nevada as Mrs. Guam World 2019, where she finished among the top 8 candidates out of 48.
Also in 2019, she was hailed the winner of Mrs. Global Interational and was the second runner-up queen in Mrs. USA Universe.
Two years later, in 2021, she came back to the Mrs. World pageant and represented the Philippines in the coronation night held in Sri Lanka.
In February 2022, she competed once again in the same competition held in Las Vegas, Nevada where she finished as among the top 15 candidates.
More than the crowns, Meranie is an advocate
Throughout her reign and competing in different pageants, Meranie has always carried her advocacy for postpartum depression awareness. In 2018, she established her own nonprofit organization, You Are Loved Foundation. Her passion for this advocacy is rooted in her own experiences with the condition.
“Since I am a survivor of postpartum depression, I know how serious and lethal this kind of depression can be which has actually taken the lives of thousands and probably millions of women all over the world and lesser number of men as well,” she previously shared in an interview with ABS-CBN.
“Coming out of postpartum depression has changed my life by giving me another life at the same time it has empowered me to save many lives that I have been able to touch and educate them that there is hope, and there is a treatment. Look at me, I am a living example. I have done this a lot in the Philippines because I have a voice here as reigning Mrs. Philippines World. I wish I could have a voice all over the world and save many lives,” she explained.
With this, she was among the awardees for Gawad America in North Hollywood for "Most Influential Woman of the Year” in 2021. She was also named the "Philanthropist of the Year" in 2022.
Now that she has won the prestigious crown, Meranie has added another advocacy under her reign: to raise awareness about domestic violence and school bullying.
“I have several projects including carrying the Mrs. Universe title with prestige honesty and integrity in the whole world as well as spread Mrs. Universe Advocacy of awareness about Domestic Violence,” she shared with Philstar.com.
“In addition, I will continue my other advocacies including awareness about school and internet bullying, and Postpartum depression,” she added.