Owen Bennett | Editor
A Trinity student has won the Miss Ethnic Ireland 2013 beauty pageant. Sheelan Yousefizadeh, a third year Genetics student of Iranian origin, was crowned the 2013 winner on Sunday last.
Organised by the United Youth of Ireland – a multi-ethnic group of young people – the conference and fashion show aimed to raise awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Speaking to The University Times, Miss Yousefizadeth, who moved with her family to Ireland at the age of twelve, said she felt ‘privileged and honored to have been given the title.’ She went on to say that ‘there are many responsibilities that come with the title and despite being a busy third year genetics student, I feel that I have enough experience from my days as an activist to meet the challenge’.
On her reasons for entering the Miss Ethnic Ireland competition, Miss Yousefizadeh said she ‘liked the idea of approaching people through things that interest them’.
The United Youth of Ireland focuses on the issues faced by migrant youth through the mediums of music, film, talent shows and fashion shows. The organisation also provides training and workshops to promote integration.
Miss Yousefizadeh has campaigned for Amnesty International for a number of years to raise awareness of Female Genital Mutilation. The procedure, defined by the World Health Organisation as ‘all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the female genitalia’ is practiced primarily in parts of Africa and the Middle-East, with an estimated 2,500 girls and women living with the consequences of the procedure in this country. According to the World Health Organisation, the procedure has no health benefits and can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, potential childbirth complications and an increased possibility of infant mortality.
On her reasons for entering the Miss Ethnic Ireland competition, Miss Yousefizadeh said she ‘liked the idea of approaching people through things that interest them, in this case bringing young people interested in fashion and beauty together while at the same time informing them about violence against women, in particular the practice of Female Genital Mutilation.
She went on to thank her classmates, citing their ‘great support from the very first day’.
The Miss Ethnic Ireland beauty contest corresponded with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
