TRANSCRIPT: Miss Universe 2021 Top 5 candidates' Q&A
The 70th Miss Universe put the beauty queens to the test during the crucial Q&A portion, which had the contestants giving their insights on hot-button issues.
Top 5 contenders India, Paraguay, South Africa, Colombia, and the Philippines answered the judges' questions on issues like cancel culture, mandatory vaccinations, and leadership. Read how they answered below.
Q: Many people think climate change is a hoax, what would you do to convince them otherwise?
Miss India Harnaaz Sandhu: Honestly, my heart breaks to see how nature is going through a lot of problems and it's all due to irresponsible behavior. I totally feel that this is the time to take actions and talk less because our each action could either kill or save nature, prevent and protect is better than repent and repair and this is what I'm trying to convince you guys today. Thank you.
Q: Should tweets and social media comments from a person in their teenage years be held against them years later?
Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane: I believe everybody should be held accountable for their actions and if a person doesn't know how to act on social media, they should be canceled. I believe in cancel culture in the same way I also believe in redemption culture and hoping that the person has matured, knowing better, and done better to be redeemed. I do believe they can grow in the allowed gap to do that.
Q: How can women best handle body shaming?
Miss Paraguay Nadia Ferreira: Our body is our temple so we must take care of it. Our inner beauty is what really matters. Let's cultivate our inner beauty so it can reflect to our external beauty. Thank you.
Q: According to Global Citizen, 95% of the world's countries are led by a male head of state. How would the world be different if women were in charge?
Miss Colombia Valeria Ayos: Women are leaders by nature. We have the power to raise our voice and make transcendental decisions in society as role models and make an example but not just with words, with action. That's why women raising their voice as in this platform called Miss Universe, we are taking charge of our lives and deciding what we want to offer to society in order to make it a better one. So women, let's raise our voice and make us a better united universe. Thank you.
Q: Given the ever-changing COVID situation, what is your opinion on mandating a universal vaccine passport?
Miss Philippines Beatrice Gomez: I believe that public health is everyone's responsibility and to mandate vaccine inoculation is necessary. If mandating vaccine passport would help us in regulating the rollout of vaccine and mitigate the situation of the pandemic today, then I would agree on mandating the necessary passport vaccination. Thank you.
India's Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe on Monday, Dec. 13 in Eilat, Israel. Paraguay's Nadia Ferreira was named first runner-up with South Africa's Lalela Mswane as second runner-up. Philippines' Beatrice Gomez and Colombia's Valeria Ayos were the fourth and fifth runners-up.