Netherlands Ends Miss Pageants After 35 Years, Launches Platform for Youth Empowerment

Organizers cite outdated beauty standards and societal shifts as reasons for replacing the pageant with a digital space focused on mental health, diversity, and self-expression.

The Miss Netherlands pageant has been discontinued after 35 years, as organizers deem traditional beauty contests no longer relevant in today's society.
A new online platform, 'Niet Meer Van Deze Tijd' (Not of This Time), will focus on topics like mental health, social media, diversity, and self-representation.
The platform aims to inspire young people to embrace individuality and challenge conventional societal norms around beauty and expectations.
Discussions among organizers highlighted the need for spaces that promote self-expression over competition rooted in subjective beauty standards.
Amber Rustenberg, crowned in June 2024, will be the final Miss Netherlands, marking the end of an era for the iconic competition.