The Miss Peru pageant too place on Sunday night and the actions of the contestants that occurred during the live television event have gone viral! Usually the Peruvian contestants that are competing in the pageant are required to say their name along with their bust, hips, and waist measurements. Instead, the women competing took a stance on violence against women and came together to bring awareness to the abuse and harassment women face in the South American country.

Miss Peru 2017. Photo Courtesy of The Guardian.

The gender violence, domestic abuse, and trafficking that occurs in Peru were the highlights of this pre-planned protest. After each contestant stated an alarming statistic, there was an image of a woman who had been abused across the screen. For example, contestant Camila Canicoba of Lima, Peru stated an alarming statistic about female murders in the country:

'My name is Camila Canicoba and I represent the department of Lima. My measurements are: 2,202 cases of femicide have been reported in the last nine years in my country.'

Contestant Camila Canicoba Llaro stating an alarming fact about the number of women that have been killed intentionally in Peru over the last nine years. Photo courtesy of Elle UK.

Later in the show, the women were asked how they would change things politically to improve the protection of women in Peru. The show generated buzz on social media and the hashtag #MisMedidasSon, meaning "my measurements are", was trending on twitter. This act touched people around the world and opened the eyes of many.

Check out the inspiring video below!

By: Alaina Pawlowicz

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