A New York woman is challenging Miss America, Miss World rules banning mothers from beauty pageants

Spokespersons for the Miss America and Miss World pageant organizations didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday. A spokesperson for the human rights commission said the agency does not comment on open investigations.

Allred noted that she previously had success challenging a similar rule for a California mother denied eligibility to compete in the Miss California pageant, which is part of the Miss Universe and Miss USA organizations.

The discrimination complaint filed by Andrea Quiroga with the California Civil Rights Department prompted Miss Universe to eliminate its 70-year-old rule, which was imposed worldwide through its affiliated organizations, Allred said.

“Being pregnant or being a parent is not a crime and should not exclude an individual from employment or business opportunities,” Allred said. “An individual’s status as a parent should not carry a stigma and no person should have to feel embarrassed, humiliated, or degraded because they have become a parent.”

The two women were joined Monday by Veronika Didusenko, who was crowned Miss Ukraine 2018 only to have the title stripped when the Miss World organization learned that she had a child.

Didusenko, who has since created an organization advocating for an end to beauty pageant bans on mothers, said she lost her legal challenge in Ukraine but is seeking relief from the European Court of Human Rights.

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