Miss Namibia 2023 Jameela |Uiras is among 90 women from around the globe vying for the prestigious crown of the 72nd Miss Universe on Saturday.
The finale is set for the José Adolfo Pineda Arena in San Salvador in El Salvador, where the 71st Miss Universe, R’Bonney Gabriel from the USA will be crowning her successor. Dressed in a gorgeous lilac ensemble during a welcome event on Friday, |Uiras, who was crowned Miss Namibia in July this year in Swakopmund, told the crowd: “To the women in this room, never apologise for being a powerful woman”.
A public voting competition is currently running to send any of the contestants into the semi-finals. To vote for |Uiras, download the Miss Universe App, press the vote icon at the bottom of the App’s home screen, find |Uiras’ photo and vote. The first vote is free of charge. Since 1952, the Miss Universe competition has been a global beauty pageant that celebrates women and supports them to realise their goals through self-confidence. The competition presents the new queen with the opportunity to take her social mission to an international audience.
This year’s pageant is also expected to be one of the most impactful of the long-running competition after the Miss Universe Organisation modified its rules to accept married women and moms.
Before the grand coronation, the contestants will compete in a preliminary round set, where they will strut their stuff in elegant evening gowns and stylish swimsuits before a panel of judges. This phase is crucial as it contributes significantly to their final scores and determines which contestants will advance to the semi-finals. The suspense will build as the names of the semi-finalists will only be revealed on the night of the coronation.
The contestants will also participate in the national costume round. The national costume segment is always a crowd-pleaser, allowing contestants to showcase their unique cultures and identities through elaborate and visually stunning costumes. The contestant with the most outstanding national costume will receive a special award, adding a touch of pride to the competition and a colourful spectacle for the audience. Namibia won the crown in 1992 through Michelle McLean. Since the competition started in 1952, the USA has won the title nine times with its most recent victory being last year.
Venezuela currently holds a total of seven titles, and is the only country that has won “back-to-back” crowns in 2008 and 2009.
Puerto Rico has won the crown five times and the Philippines four times; while Mexico, Sweden, South Africa, and India have each won it three times.