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Are Africa's pageants too focused on looks?

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November 1, 2026

At any given time, a pageant is taking place somewhere in Africa. Are the contestants judged on their beauty, intelligence, or both?

The tendency to judge women by their appearance doesn't end with beauty pageants. For some women, these assumptions follow them beyond the modelling industry.

Kathy Short Reporter for DW Africa covering hard news and features for the AfricaLink podcast.
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