Beauty queens and values

Beauty queens and values

It is to be hoped the beauty queen debate will end now that
President Soeharto has barred participation in any form of
Indonesians in such competitions abroad.

It may be true that aside from displaying their bodies,
participants must also display their intellectual qualities, but
the element that determines the winner is still the body, which
is displayed openly.

In Indonesian culture the display of a woman's body, even
partially clothed, is considered improper. Moreover, it is
regarded as denigrating to women. It is therefore most proper for
President Soeharto -- as quoted by Minister of Women's Affairs
Mien Sugandhi -- to bar the sending of Indonesian participants to
international contests of this kind.

It would also be proper, for the time being, to put an end to
such contests in this country until those who are considered most
competent to speak about the matter -- women's organizations,
experts and the House of Representatives -- have made known their
stance.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta