Miss Universe sees her success as one for all women

Miss Universe sees her success as one for all women

By Rita A. Widiadana

JAKARTA (JP): What is the essence of a woman ?

"A child originally comes from a mother. A mother is a woman
who shows men the meaning of devotion and unconditional love.
That's the essence of a woman," says the 18-year-old Miss India
in answer to the question.

This spontaneous answer garnered Sushmita Sen the crown of
Miss Universe l994 (not Miss World 1994 as printed in The Jakarta
Post's Saturday edition) in Manila in May. In the 43-year history
of the pageant, she became the first Indian and the youngest
woman to wear the prestigious beauty crown.

She edged out 80 candidates, including favored contestants
from Columbia and Venezuela.

"My recent success is a real accomplishment for a woman from a
developing country. Therefore, I would like to encourage the
women of Asia, including Indonesia, to achieve as high a position
as possible in any field in the international world," said an
articulate Miss Universe at a press gathering at the Le Meridien
Hotel here Saturday.

The press conference opened her five-day visit in Jakarta and
Surabaya.

Dressed in a yellow tunic combined with a long embroidered-
brocade jacket of the same color, the 1.75-meter tall Sushmita's
maturity belied her teen age.

Though she looked a little bit weary after paying three-hours
of courtesy calls to the First Lady, Mrs. Tien Soeharto, and
other government officials earlier that morning, Sushmita
cheerfully posed for the photographers and answered all questions
raised by local journalists.

Asked how she felt of being Miss Universe, a smiling Sushmita
pointed out that she was very exciting, saying ,"This is a nice
experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. It is
something that I can smile at when I look back on the experience.
It is also improving my self-confidence and sense of
independence. But, more importantly, as Miss Universe I will be
able to do charity work to help needy people."

As the holder of this year's Miss Universe title, the dark-
brown eyed model from New Delhi will spend her year-long reign
traveling throughout the world (at least, 30 countries including
Indonesia), attending charitable, commercial and public
activities on behalf of the pageant's producer, Miss Universe
Inc., a subsidiary of Madison Square Garden, a Paramount
Communications Company.

Another thing that makes her smile is the US$225,000 in cash
and prizes granted to her as the winner of the contest.

In Indonesia, she is scheduled to take part in several social
and cultural activities to raise funds for orphanages in Jakarta,
victims of natural disasters and for the development of poor
villages in East Java.

Her visit here is jointly organized by PT Mustika Ratu,
PT Emerald Reksagemilang, Le Meridien Hotel and other sponsors.
Her programs in Surabaya will be managed by the Lions Club and
Perkosmi, the Association of Cosmetics Companies.

Sushmita, a fan of Mother Theresa, said that she hopes to
focus her efforts on the environment and population activities.
She said she will also continue to emphasize the development of
women both internationally and in India.

She is also concerned about prostitution and poverty.

Direct

"Women have a direct link with population and environmental
problems and development. The extent to which women are free to
make decisions affecting their lives is the key to our future,
not only in poor countries, but in the world as a whole," said
high school graduate Sushmita.

In answer to a question of what she would do if she were an
Indian prime minister, Sushmita said she had never dreamed of
taking that position. However, she said if she did, she would
have concentrated on improving family planning programs,
education and improving the condition of Indian women, especially
those living in rural areas.

"Because I come from India, the world's second largest country
of 900 million, I am able to speak about the importance of these
issues," Sushmita added.

She went on to say that the issue of women's rights also plays
a significant role in the development of a country. Although the
majority of Indian women are still regarded as "second class"
citizens, she noted that more and more Indian women have become
aware of their rights as individuals and are now opting for
higher positions at work without neglecting their role as wife
and mother at home.

Sushmita, a daughter of a retired air force pilot father and a
businesswoman mother, admitted that she was lucky to be born into
a middle-class family where she was given equal treatment and
opportunity. However, she explained that women living in India's
rural areas are only just starting to be treated fairly.

"As an Indian woman, I will be proud of being a good mother
and wife. But, I will also have many opportunities to pursue my
career. It is not important to be a feminist. In my opinion, a
woman should know exactly what she wants and how to achieve it,"
said Sushmita.

Citing one example, she said even though she comes from a
conservative country like India where women are still considered
inferior to their male counterparts, she received wide support
from her home country to take part in the beauty contest in
Manila.

Earlier reports revealed that the contest itself was
highlighted by a march involving Gabriela, the Philippine
feminist group of 48,000 members, which protested against the
staging of the Miss Universe contest in Manila in May saying it
was 'a spectacle of female flesh.'