A former Miss Ukraine, who was stripped of her crown and banned from contesting the Miss World competition after it was found that she has a five-year-old son, is pursing legal action against the contest. She is also seeking a change in the rule that bans mothers and married women from taking part in the Miss World competition.
In her legal suit, Veronika Didusenko claimed that Miss World organisers are breaching the terms of the Equality Act of 2010 that protects against discrimination based on certain characteristics, including marriage, maternity and gender.
According to media reports, 24-year-old Didusenko, who was crowned Miss Ukraine in 2018, was dethroned and was disqualified from going on to compete for the Miss World title. Launching a campaign, #righttobeamother on her Instagram, she wrote, “We demand a change of rules, @missworld".
"The reason I was not allowed to compete in Miss World after winning the title #MissUkraine is because I had been married and have a child," she wrote.
Didusenko accused the organisers of the of discrimination and added that they seem to be “ stuck in the dark ages". "I don't want the crown back," she wrote.
The organisers of the event are yet come out with a comment.
The final of the Miss World will take place on December 14 in London.
(With agency inputs)