Mason Jones (Reporter)
SHOCKING frocks, camp glitz and glamour, it could only be the Miss Gibraltar contest!
After six weeks of continuous photo opportunities and promotional work, seven contestants faced their public for two and a half hours this weekend.
In a series of alluring costumes, the group paraded around before finally nervously giving a short speech.
Maroua Kharbouch, a Gibraltarian from a Moroccan Muslim family, won the title and will take part in the Miss World beauty pageant in Indonesia later this year
A well-known face on Gibraltar’s party circuit, Maroua was no stranger to Gibraltar’s various beauty contest opportunities, having entered a string of competitions since her teens.
The 22-year-old – who most recently won the Miss Motors title in 2010 – is a keep fit fan, who does a lot of volunteer work.
Most importantly she is a fan of the multicultural melting pot of Gibraltar.
After winning she explained: “I want young girls to look up to me and I want to be an extremely good example.
“I want them to say – look at her, if she can do it, so can I, being Moroccan Gibraltarian, whatever they may be, I feel I can truly inspire them
Beauty pageants, beauty queens, princesses, barbie dolls, etc. etc. What exactly are they teaching young girls. It has been discovered that girls as young as eight years of age are critical of their physical looks.
While I am writing this “Chime for Change” a show with women (Boyance, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, and Mary J Blige) are performing to bring education to girls world-wide. They are using their “beauty” to bring change.
Totally confused, what has she contributed? Party girl from a Moroccan Muslim family? Can’t imagine her family are very proud or supporting her in her beauty queen ambitions? Maybe she is rebelling against a strict upbringing? Either way she must realise that parading in a bikini and wearing a fake crown doesn’t impress most people, no matter how ‘stunning’ she might be. Only in Gibraltar could a cattle market pass as culture, really depressing…