For the first time in decades, Miss World Namibia and Miss Non-Governmental Organizations (Miss NGO) have opened their doors to mothers, paving the way for inspiring and giving second chances to mothers. 

Among the beneficiaries is 28-year-old Vistorina Hipangelwa, a mother of one, who has stepped back into the limelight as a semi-finalist in the Miss NGO 2025 pageant.

Hipangelwa’s dreams came to a halt seven years ago when she became a mother. In an industry long criticized for its restrictive eligibility rules, married women or those who had children were often excluded, regardless of their talent or commitment.

“Pageantry is me, and I am pageantry. Being told I couldn’t participate simply because I was a mother affected me very badly,” she said. 

Hipangelwa’s love for the stage never waned. Instead of giving up, she redirected her passion and efforts towards mentoring. Over the years, she trained lots of young girls in public speaking, self-confidence, and stage presence, ensuring the next generation of contestants had access to opportunities she was once denied. Now, thanks to a decision by both Miss World and Miss NGO to allow mothers to compete, she is reclaiming her spotlight. The move has been praised as a step towards inclusivity and a recognition that womanhood and motherhood should not be barriers to ambition.

Born and raised in Windhoek, Hipangelwa began competing in local pageants during her teenage years. Known for her charisma and eloquence, she quickly earned a reputation as a natural on stage. 

Hipangelwa hopes to use the platform to advocate for teenage pregnancy, women’s rights, and youth empowerment.

“Coming back into pageantry is not just about wearing a crown. It’s about rewriting the narrative for mothers, for women, and for anyone who’s ever been told no,” she said. 

During her pregnancy, she endured criticism from her community. 

“When I got pregnant people were laughing at me saying ‘pageant girly is now pregnant, what a shame’. Those comments broke me so badly,” she said. 

She added that Miss NGO must continue giving a platform to mothers and everyone who has been denied access to pageants. 

“Thank you to Miss NGO for allowing mothers to participate in pageantry because we have been sidelined for too long and our voices were not heard. We are labelled as not beautiful enough and it’s like society is saying mothers are not beautiful enough to be out there and their voices do not matter anymore and we are not worthy, but we are,” she said. 

National director of Miss World Namibia and Miss NGO Marco Coetzee announced that mothers, married women and transgender to be allowed to participate in the pageant as of 2024.

This decision by the Miss Universe organization reflects a commitment to inclusivity and it is fitting to see a pageant that is all about the celebration of women promoting the idea that a woman’s journey doesn’t stop at motherhood. Pageants have existed for a very long time; seeing beautiful young women and people letting them compete for a crown has always been a point of entertainment for a lot, and now that the world of pageantry has evolved from simply having women vie to prove who’s the fairest of them all, to a platform that values advocacies, it is both fulfilling and necessary for them to not stop at raising just the voices of women who are palatable to everyone.

 Miss Universe Organization’s move to allow mothers and married women to participate appeared to receive the same amount of resistance as lifting the age requirement, but reigning Mrs Universe Philippines Arlene Cris Damot welcomed this development because women shouldn’t be boxed by “age, size, or height.”

Damot is all support for the inclusive measures being implemented by the Miss Universe Organization, including allowing mothers and married women to join the international pageant’s 2024 edition.

“It’s actually a good thing because whatever age, or whatever size, or whatever height you may have does not define you,” Damot said at the sidelines of her send-off press conference last year. “I’m happy that Miss Universe is opening up.”

The titleholder and mother of two, however, was quick to clarify that she is not thinking of joining the 72-year-old international pageant even if the doors have now been opened to her and other women, regardless of their stature.

Damot was one of the six Filipino participants in the 2023 Mrs Universe pageant, that took place in the Philippines for the first time. Unlike the Miss Universe pageant where four Filipino winners have been crowned, the country has not recorded a victory in the contest for married women.

-pmukokobi@nepc.com.na