Girl covered in moles auditions for Miss Universe Malaysia
Evita Delmundo, who was born with large moles all over her face and body, has auditioned for the Miss Universe Malaysia beauty pageant. "I learnt to accept my birthmarks and love myself. I slowly gained confidence to show off my uniqueness," said Evita. The pageant's official Facebook page described Evita as an "empowering 20-year-old" while sharing an article on her.
When you think of a beauty pageant as reputed as Miss Universe, you probably don't think that those who don't fit into the stereotype of beauty will be allowed to enter it. For the longest time, beauty pageants have been criticised for not accepting that beauty comes in all forms. All that just changed with Evita Delmundo auditioning for Miss Universe Malaysia.Evita, hailing from Sabah in north-eastern Malaysia, has been in focus recently for entering her application for the global competition. While that might seem like a big deal for you yet, it is for this 20-year-old, who was born with large, hairy black-and-brown moles all over her body. Add to that a birth mark across her neck and shoulders, and you have a woman who was bullied throughout her childhood. According to the Daily Mail, her classmates in school called her 'monster' and 'chocolate chip cookie', which left her heartbroken and shy. Also Read: Latest avatars of Sita and Wonder Woman are the icons we wish we grew up with"In primary school, no one wanted to be friends with me. I remember a teacher having to ask two girls to accompany me during recess, and they were whispering 'why do we have to treat her like a princess?" she shared during an interview.Evita's secondary school experience was slightly better--her mother taught there, and her classmates gradually accepted her. And while she has always proved how brave she is by not getting rid of the moles through surgery, her bold step of auditioning for Miss Universe Malaysia has actually sent a message of hope across the world. Battling body-image issues is difficult enough, but to do it through a platform like a beauty pageant is even more praise-worthy. Also Read: Sushmita Sen rules Miss Universe yet again, 23 years after winning the title