A UNIVERSITY beauty competition which bans female students who are mothers, wives or under 1.62m (5ft 4in) in height is being opposed by students and staff at University College, Dublin.
A protest against the event is being held on the UCD campus at Belfield today in the form of the "real Miss UCD competition."
The "Miss UCD" competition is a charitable event being organised by the UCD Students' Union and has about 15 entrants. It is part of an overall "Miss University Competition" which has already been held in other third level institutions including the Dublin Institute of Technology. The overall winner of the competition will receive a free entry into the Miss Ireland competition and a year's modelling contract.
"It is not the job of a university to promote an event like this" said Professor of Equality Studies at UCD, Kathleen Lynch adding that she and a number of staff strongly object to the competition.
"I feel it is bringing us back to the 1950s where women are evaluated on basis of appearance."
"We are happy to see the wider student body has moved to condone the event and this is an affirmation of wider student values" a UCD spokesman said.
However, he pointed out that this was a student event and he hoped that was the way it would be handled.
"UCDSU should be promoting a positive view of women and vehemently oppose sexism in all forms" said protest organiser Elisa O'Donovan who is a fifth year medical student and a member of the Socialist Party.
Entertainment Officer with UCD Student's Union, Stephen Quinlivan said he has the backing of the student body. A motion was brought to the UCD Students' Union Council three months ago to condemn the event and it was heavily defeated, so it is a democratic decision, he said.
The limitation criteria are due to the entry into Miss Ireland and the event has already been held in other universities, he added.
The competition will raise money for charity so people should "get a life" he said.
