DUBAI: It takes a backbone of steel, a rapier wit and stony determination to represent your country on the world stage — and seven women from Bahrain competed for the chance to do just that as 19-year old Bahraini-American cosplay artist and theater actress Lujane Yacoub won the Miss Universe Bahrain crown this week.
Yacoub will compete at the 72nd annual Miss Universe pageant on Nov. 18, 2023 in El Salvador.
The finalists included Mary Mohamed, Advaita Shetty, Mariam Naji, Lujane Yacoub, Menatalla Husein, Nivine Abouzeid and Turina Carrol.
They follow in the footsteps of Evlin Khalifa, who made waves last year for dressing modestly from beginning to end as she represented Bahrain in the beauty pageant. Today, she says: “This year has changed me the most but in a good way. In such a short time I’ve learnt some of the most important things in life. Here are two of them: There is no failure in life. And always stay true to yourself.”
She advises the girls to do the same — and to nurture their friendships with fellow contestants. She adds: “Your participation in this pageant already signifies your strength, confidence and determination to make a positive difference.”
Ahead of the christening on Sept. 2, we spoke to seven of the contestants. Here is what you need to know about them.
Mary Mohamed
(Supplied)
Twenty-eight-year-old Mohamed is proud to call herself “mixed race” — she is half-Bahraini and half-Filipino. She is also a cognitive behavioral counsellor who specializes in eating disorders. This subject is close to her heart, as she herself struggled with an eating disorder in her youth. She is looking forward to vying for the crown, something she calls a huge honor. “For me, as a mixed woman, I would be able to represent Arab women, Asian women and Filipino women. In our region, we live side by side. And if there’s one thing in common that we have, is that we have been discriminated and judged, just based on where we come from. So to be able to represent this in this arena, to show that we can break limits and barriers that’s been placed on us, it would be the highest honor.”
Adivita Shetty
(Supplied)
Shetty — partly of Indian descent — is an audiologist, traveler, animal lover and enthusiastic pageant competitor.
The 28-year-old is quick to call the Miss Universe platform a springboard for feminism. She explains: “Feminism is levelling the field for both men and women. I feel with pageants, despite you winning the crown or not winning the crown, the platform really takes you to different levels. For example, Miss Universe Bahrain, we got to do shoots for (the brand) Kevin Murphy, we got to go to Maldives and explore, meet people, build contacts, build confidence. And sometimes it’s just opportunities that women lack. When platforms such as Miss Universe Bahrain offer these fields — they can morph into endless possibilities.”
Mariam Naji
(Supplied)
A year after being a runner-up in the Miss Bahrain competition, 26-year-old Naji returns to the fray. The social media star, and author of a horror novel, says that the competition is a great platform for speaking your truth. Her message to other women in Bahrain is: “You can do anything you want. Here in the Kingdom of Bahrain, we have society that supports the woman.”
Lujane Yacoub
(Supplied)
She may be 19, but Yacoub is a veteran of the Miss Universe Bahrain bout. Last year, she was a runner-up. The actress, model and advocate for young children, says even though she didn’t win last year, the platform opened many doors for her. “My first year competing after I got first runner-up that year, and I went to approach charities, they knew who I was. And that alone allowed me to reach so many people, so many charities, so many organizations.” She believes that taking the title would mean many more opportunities to advocate her causes.
Menatalla Husein
(Supplied)
Lash artist by day, beauty pageant candidate by night, Husein is all about advocating for children in foster care. This need comes from personal experience: “’I’ve been through that, and the struggle … it’s not easy. They (the children) need to have a voice. Because being in a place where the outsiders can’t hear you is hard sometimes, it can mentally damage you. So having someone that can be a voice for them is important,” she says.
Nivine Abouzeid
(Supplied)
Abouzeid, 24, has always loved being in front of the camera. The marketing and PR manager models whenever she gets a chance to. But she believes that beauty is more than skin deep. For those wanting to follow in her footsteps, she says: “Don’t let your dreams remain dreams. You have the right to go and speak for yourself and you have the right to form your own opinions. I believe in myself and that’s why I’m here today.”
Turina Carrol
(Supplied)
Twenty-eight-year-old Carrol, who is of Indian descent, is a flight attendant who believes in living her life to the fullest and treating people the way that you would want to be treated. She is all about being positive and living fearlessly.
It takes courage and confidence in your message to the world to represent your country. These women prove it is about more than just the photo ops — it is about getting your message out.
