Models asked to stay away from married men

Taiwan's Miss Globalcity Pageant is asking its contestants to sign a clause that dictates them to stay away from married men. TOI asks desi models what they think of this development. Beauty contests have always strived to come with a purpose. It is all too common to see images of a Miss World nursing a sick child or attending to a crowd of hungry children. While their societal obligation warms many hearts, should we attach morality clauses to beauty pageant contestants and decide who they should possibly date? Taiwan's largest home grown beauty contest, the Miss Globalcity Pageant, requires contestants to steer clear from having any sexual relations with married men. And any negligence of this rule may lead to the contestants' disqualification. The rule - which came amid baseball player and the 'Pride of Taiwan' Chien-ming Wang's recent confession that he engaged in an extra-marital affair with another woman - caused public outrage. But the more important question that looms is whether models should adhere to this moral policing. 'Models have a public Image' Models have always generated an iconic image - as these beauties walk down the ramp in glitzy designer wear, the many hopeful young girls watching them dream to be as enigmatic someday. It may seem all too important to uphold model behaviour, but should it be at the cost of personal freedom? Former Miss Earth, Nicole Faria, says, "It is a good thing that such clauses are being introduced. After all, models do have a public image to maintain." Is the clause gendered? Women have often battled with labels that have not vanished for centuries -if the Salem trials banished women as witches, beauty contestants have now come under the scanner as potential home wreckers and mistresses. While this sweeping generalization may raise an eyebrow or two, Former Miss India Parvati Omanakuttan seems unabashed by it. "People who haven't done anything wrong should not be affected by it. Such clauses create a casting couch for the contest and those who believe in having extra-marital affairs would think twice before entering such an idea," she says. 'A code of conduct is necessary for everyone' Model-turned-actor Dipannita Sharma says, "They should have a clause for men as well. In fact, they should include such a clause in sports." The idea of clauses may bring about discipline, but what kind of clauses should exist in beauty contests? Fashion guru Prasad Bidapa says, "Beauty contests should have clauses that require contestants to stay away from late-night parties, but this is to make sure that they devote themselves to the contest. But clauses that mandate women to stay away from men will not work. Once the pageant gets over, people will do whatever they want to," says Prasad, adding, "A code of conduct is necessary not just for models, but for everyone."