Miss Ethiopia

Miss Ethiopia is one of several national-level beauty pageants organised in Ethiopia. It began in 1956 during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie I but a few years later it was banned due to the revolution by Derg military officers, who deposed Selassie in 1974.

In 2003 the first national pageant of the modern era was held. It was revived and titled Miss Ethiopia World, and organised by UK based Ethiopian Life foundation. The organisers proceeded to send many Ethiopian delegates to international beauty contests for the first time.^[1][2] In 2003 the Miss World franchise was acquired for Ethiopia, by a rival organisation and that followed the recent trend of organising beauty contest in Ethiopia, the License to conduct Miss Ethiopia belongs to W/zro Wossene Hailu the Last Miss Ethiopia to be crowned in the Emperor Haile Selassie I's time.

Beauty pageants have proliferated in recent times in Ethiopia, and there has been a lot of controversy over individual franchise ownership and securing prizes. With many people simply jumping on the Pageant band waggon with little or no experience or understanding of how the international franchise system works, they simply organise their version of a pageant without first obtaining a legally binding franchise, then claim to be sending their winner to a particular pageant such as Miss Universe, Miss World etc., and also offering bogus mouth watering prizes to tempt young girls to join their pageant.

Controversies

Genet Tsegay

Miss Ethiopia chair Murad Mohammed, director of Ethiopian Village Adventure Playground, which claims ownership of Miss Ethiopia, have frequently announced that the Miss Ethiopia queens would participate in international pageants like Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss Progress, etc. despite not owning a franchise for the pageants. Much of the judging is not done publicly, so the general population is not able to follow the process from start to finish, or see the final event taking place.^[3] Mohammed has been accused of repeatedly advertising bogus prizes for his version of Miss Ethiopia, such as cash, modeling contracts, cars, and jewelry, none of which can be verified as having ever been awarded.^[4]

Melkam Michael Endale, who was crowned Miss Ethiopia 2010, was later appointed Miss World Ethiopia in 2012 without taking part in a contest for the purpose of attending Miss World 2012.^[5] She failed to attend the event.^[6] She was also listed as Ethiopia's representative to Miss Intercontinental Pageant 2012, but once again did not show.^[7]

Lack of transparency

he latest version of the pageant is seen to lack transparency, due to the fact that the winner is suddenly announced without a proper contest being held, girls are put in a studio with sashes proclaiming them to be finalist, but the public are not able to follow the process from start to finish, or see the actual final event taking place.^[8]

In several years past the runner up has simply be appointed Miss Ethiopia by Murad Mohammed and Ethiopian Village Adventure Playground for the purpose of attending Miss World for example. Melkam Michael Endale who was crowned Miss Ethiopia 2010 for example, who never got her promised car or 100,000 ETBirr,^[9] was simply appointed as Miss World Ethiopia in 2012, without taking part in a contest for the purpose of attending Miss World 2012 ^[10]

Murad Mohammed and Ethiopian Village Adventure Playground has also frequently announced that it's Miss Ethiopia queens will participate in international pageants like Miss International 2012, Miss Earth 2012, Miss Progress etc. despite not owning the franchises for the pageants. Melkam Michael Endale who was crowned Miss Ethiopia 2010 for example, was announced as Ethiopia's representative to Miss International 2012 but failed to attend the event.^[11]

Miss Universe 2012 franchise confusion

In 2012, Mohammed and his Miss Ethiopia organisation claimed that they crowned Genet Tsegay as Miss Ethiopia 2012 and Miss Ethiopia Universe on May 19 in Addis Ababa,^[12][13][14] and publicly stated that Genet Tsegay would represent Ethiopia at Miss Universe 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was contradicted by another organisation that cast and crowned their own Miss Universe Ethiopia. Helen Getachew, 22, was crowned Miss Universe Ethiopia 2012 during a casting call held in Addis Ababa on Friday, October 12, 2012.^[15] Thus two Miss Universe delegates from Ethiopia were crowned in 2012, both expecting to travel to Las Vegas in December where Miss Universe 2012 was to be held.

Bogus prizes

Murad Mohammed, director of Ethiopian Village Adventure Playground which claims to be to latest owner of Miss Ethiopia, has been accused of repeatedly advertising bogus prises for his version of Miss Ethiopia, such as 100,000 Et Birr, US$6250 prize, a house, Modelling contract in New York, participation in several international pageants, awarding of 60,000 Et birr US$3750 Diamond rings,^[16] none of which can be verified as having been ever awarded.

Titleholders

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Miss Ethiopia.

• Miss Universe Ethiopia

References