Miss France 2018 fights violence against women
The Miss France 2018 contest has crowned this year鈥檚 overall winner and has dedicated the event to fighting violence against women.
Ma毛va Coucke, who was Miss Nord-Pas-de-Calais, was crowned overall Miss France 2018 last night [Saturday 16 December], at the 88th annual contest, broadcast only on French TV channel TF1 to an audience of 7.6 million viewers, .
The general director of the Miss France group, Sylvie Tellier - herself the winner of Miss France 2002, and pictured below, left - dedicated the ceremony to the cause of fighting violence against women, just months after the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse debacle first hit the headlines in the United States.
A black-and-white clip, named 鈥�The Miss work against violence towards women鈥�, was broadcast during the ceremony, and included the phrase 鈥淚 am free to choose who I want, I am free to say no...I am strong, confident, beautiful. I am me.鈥�
Miss France 2016, Iris Mittenaere, also spoke, saying: 鈥淲e must not forget that last year in France, every three days one woman dies due to violence from her husband.鈥�
Marl猫ne Schiappa, secretary of state in charge of equality between men and women, commended the event for using its platform to highlight this issue.
鈥淸This will] raise awareness among many families that are sitting down to watch their televisions,鈥� she said, writing in Le Parisien-Aujourd鈥檋ui en France this weekend. 鈥淭he Miss can send a message to all 麻豆传媒映画!鈥�
And yet, despite the message, feminist groups are yet to be convinced that the ceremony is a good thing, accusing the Miss France event - which includes elements such as 鈥渢he swimsuit round鈥�, in which the contestants walk around the stage wearing only swimsuits - as a 鈥渃elebration of women as objects鈥�.
Coucke, this year鈥檚 winner, will now take over from Alicia Aylies, Miss France 2017, who was the first ever Miss Guyana to win the crown.
