Contestants in Miss Peru pageant quote stats on women’s violence instead of their measurements

A WEIRD tradition in the Miss Peru beauty pageant is for contestants to read out their body measurements, but these ladies were having none of it.

Miss Peru contestant Camila Canicoba Llaro.

BEAUTY pageant contestants in Peru had the best responses when asked by the judges to reveal their body measurements to the audience during this year’s competition.

Women competing at these pageants are often required to supply their measurements (bust, waist, hip) while introducing themselves.

However breaking with tradition, the aspiring beauty queens used their moment on the stage to speak up about women’s rights and gender violence.

The Miss Peru 2018 beauty pageants gave statistics about women's rights instead of saying their bust and waist sizes #NiUnaMenos pic.twitter.com/YXrF82yfaD

— badass woman alert (@badass_w) October 31, 2017

Rather than sharing their bra sizes, the contestants — from various parts of the South American country — all revealed different facts concerning femicide and female violence in Peru, where women are getting killed in alarming numbers.

Karla Zabludovsky, BuzzFeed’s Latin America correspondent, translated their statements.

Miss Peru 2018 winner Romina Lozano said: “I represent the constitutional province of Callaomy and my measurements are: 3114 women victims of trafficking up until 2014.”

“My name is Camila Canicoba and I represent the department of Lima. My measurements are: 2202 cases of femicide reported in the last nine years in my country.”

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“My name is Juana Acevedo and my measurements are: more than 70 per cent of women in our country are victims of street harassment.”

“My name is Luciana Fernández and I represent the city of Huánuco, and my measurements are: 13,000 girls suffer sexual abuse in our country.”

“My name is Melina Machuca, I represent the department of Cajamarca, and my measurements are: more than 80 per cent of women in my city suffer from violence.”

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“Almendra Marroquín here. I represent Cañete, and my measurements are: more than 25 per cent of girls and teenagers are abused in their schools.”

“My name is Bélgica Guerra and I represent Chincha. My measurements are: the 65 per cent of university women who are assaulted by their partners.”

“My name is Romina Lozano and I represent the constitutional province of Callao, and my measurements are: 3114 women victims of trafficking up until 2014.”

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The organisers also displayed newspaper clippings behind the contestants as they spoke. The final segment concluded with each woman being asked what laws they want to see changed to combat gender violence.

Miss Peru 2018 organiser Jessica Newton told Buzzfeed News: “Everyone who does not denounce and everyone who does not do something to stop this is an accomplice.

“Women can walk out naked if they want to. Naked. It’s a personal decision. If I walk out in a bathing suit I am just as decent as a woman who walks out in an evening dress.” and is republished here with permission.

This article originally appeared on whimn.com.au and is republished here with permission.