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Dipti Nair
Doha
Rebeka Bianka Bojescu is a Class 12 student of Ideal Indian School, but what makes her stand out is that she was a contestant at the World Miss University 2017 competitions held in Cambodia last year.
While many people criticise beauty pageants as demeaning to women and objectify them, supporters argue that these pageants are about personal development and provide a platform for women to promote positive messages.
The World Miss University is one such pageant which aims to select a World University Peace Service Corps delegation to deliver the message of love and peace to the world through global peace and environmentally sustainable movements.
The annual competition was established to commemorate the United Nations decision to name 1986 as the International Year of Peace. Every year, around 80 students from all over the world, representing their country and educational institute or university, are selected to compete against each other in the World Miss University beauty pageant.
Bojescu, 18, was the only girl from Qatar who participated in the competition in 2017, representing her home country Hungary and the Ideal Indian School. She says that it was her mother who pushed her to participate in the competition.
"My mom has been working in the beauty and film industry since she was very young. She knew someone who has been in the pageant industry for many years. He had made a post online regarding the pageant and that selections were underway in Hungary. She got in touch with him and it was holiday season in school. We flew to Hungary so that I could participate in the auditions. It was an unbelievable moment for me when I found out that amongst all the girls who competed, I was the one chosen to represent Hungary in the international beauty pageant," said Bojescu.
Bojescu's mother is half-Hungarian and half-Montenegrin and her father is Romanian. She has been living in Qatar for the past nine years and goes to an Indian school, where students from over 15 different nationalities study. She feels that this multi-cultural environment has given her a much broader outlook of the world and was probably one of the reasons why she was chosen to represent Hungary on an international platform.
While the top prizes eluded Bojescu, she was ranked third for the Netizen Award, which is based on online voting and was also honoured as one of the Peace Corps.
"This was not a regular beauty pageant that revolves only around how you look," she said."The pageant comes with a vision of unity and peace. Every minute we spent at the competition, we were reminded of who we are and what our aim is and that is to use our position and the platform to spread positive messages."
The two-week competition held in different locations in Cambodia had many forums on environment, economy, tourism and peace. It focused on inter-personal skills and while the students were asked to show their talent, like in most beauty pageants, here, they were also tested on their knowledge on world issues and their future plans to spread the message of peace.
While you find most beauty pageant contestants rambling about world peace, this Hungarian beauty believes that the most important thing is to find peace within us and that is what she spoke about during the peace forum, where she was greatly appreciated.
"My speech during the peace forum was one of my best moments of the competition. It was not necessary to speak at the forum but it is a subject close to my heart and so I did speak about it. In my speech, I said that peace comes from within us and we should find it within our souls and if we don't have inner peace then we have nothing."
Participating in an international competition such as this requires a lot of practice and preparation. Bojescu was coached for the pageant by her teacher Sandhya Shekhar. She not just trained her for weeks before the competition but also was in constant contact with her during the event, and provided help throughout.
"I worked with Rebeka before and during the competition, answering all her questions and preparing her to speak her mind objectively during the various forums. Rebeka is a very bold girl, who cannot stand injustice. Even in class, she will stand up for anyone or anything that she believes in and will always support fellow students. We worked on her peace forum speech and I'm delighted that she was well-appreciated for it," said Shekhar.
But there were plenty of opportunities for the girls to dress up and look fabulous during the pageant as well. That part was easy for the gorgeous Bojescu who has been modelling from the age of 12 and whose first appearance was in a Qatar Airways advertisement. She says that she wants to continue a career in modelling but will ensure that it does not affect her studies.
"Education is everything and I will not sacrifice that. I am thankful that I have been given a photographic memory which helps me in my studies. I am drawn towards law right now and that is what I will probably pursue. But I am also thankful to the platform I have been given through this pageant. It has given me a pedestal not just for my modelling work, but also to be an inspiration to other young people."
