The Miss Bhutan pageant has returned for its fourth edition, inviting young Bhutanese women to participate in what is now a gateway to the global stage. This edition comes with a major change as the winner will represent Bhutan at the 73rd Miss World pageant next year.
With a vision to instill hope in women and empower capable candidates to realise their aspirations, the new Miss Bhutan team is calling on young girls across the country to register.
Among the five eligibility criteria, participants should be aged between 18 to 26 at the time of registration. They must never have been married and must not have children.
According to the national director, the criteria have been aligned with the Miss World pageant’s global standards.
Registrations are open until the 24th of December.
Although the pageant was not an annual event in the past due to factors such as funding challenges, the new team is striving to make it an annual event.
Tshering Gyeltshen, the National Director said, “This time, the very unique, very positive and forward-looking things that are working in favour of Miss Bhutan are that it has a new ownership. A new company that has invested with a very long-term vision, invested heavily in acquiring the ownership and the rights of Miss Bhutan from the previous owner and management. So, that gives us a lot of confidence. And, on top of that, we have a very strong management team, which is going to be the Samuh plus Shangreela merged platform.”
He said the goal is for Miss Bhutan winners to embody Bhutanese values and represent the country on a larger international platform.
“Moving forward, our winners are going to be attending or participating in or contesting in the Miss World pageant and not Miss Universe. And the reason for this is because the philosophy, the vision, and the ideals and values of Miss World align very, very closely with Miss Bhutan, but more than that, with our country being a GNH country and having the kind of values and culture that we have.”
For Tashi Choden Chombal, the reigning title holder, the pageant was nothing short of a life-transforming journey.
“This has been the most amazing experience in my life. It has been a dream come true because I come from a very small place like Wangdue, where my dreams felt too big. So, I ventured out to the capital here in Thimphu without having anything in mind. I just wanted to grab any opportunity that I could, and when I finally stepped on the national pageant, I felt the little girl in me proud of myself and of the woman I have become today. Because I think a lot of us don’t get that platform and don’t get that opportunity to express ourselves the way you want to, without having to fear society’s view.”
She says the experience taught her how powerful representation can be.
“When I was finally on the Miss Universe stage, I finally came out of my cocoon. I could talk freely about what my advocacy was, which was advocating for LGBTQ rights all over and especially from a small country like Bhutan. The most amazing part was having to be that representation I wanted growing up to be seen by the universe. And when I finally got to be that representation, I knew I had made it in life. And I want every woman out there to experience the same journey I have and be able to be who they truly are without having to feel the need to put themselves in a box or restrain themselves.”
As preparations begin for the pageant’s newest chapter, organisers say the date and venue will be announced soon.
What started in 2008 as a small national platform has now grown into an opportunity for Bhutanese women to step onto the global stage, carrying with them the values and stories that make Bhutan unique.
Devika Pradhan
Edited by Tshering Zam
