On Wednesday, September 13, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) announced a groundbreaking change: the removal of age restrictions in all its pageants, commencing globally from 2024. Previously, only women aged between 18 and 28 were eligible to participate in the over 70-year history of the event.
This landmark decision means that all adults, regardless of their age, will be eligible to compete in the Miss Universe pageant and its associated competitions. The organization emphasized that “starting then, every adult in the world will be eligible to join the Miss Universe.”
Reigning Miss Universe R’Bonney Gabriel welcomed this inclusive move in an exclusive interview with Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). Having advocated for a higher age limit during her reign, Gabriel, who is currently 29 and the oldest title holder, stated, “A woman’s ability to compete at Miss Universe, or anything in life, shouldn’t be defined by her age. Age should just be a number.”
This modification in rules follows last year’s announcement by the MUO to allow mothers and married women to join the pageant. Gabriel praised the organization for its consistent efforts to be more inclusive, saying, “What I love about Miss Universe is that they are always out first in line, looking for ways they can be more inclusive and better live up to the platform that they’ve designed for us.”
The forthcoming Miss Universe 2023 coronation night is scheduled to take place on November 18 in El Salvador.