Burkina Faso replaces beauty pageants with a science contest for young women. Should South Sudan do the same?

Should South Sudan crown its brightest young women in science the way it crowns Miss South Sudan? Burkina Faso has just done exactly that.

The West African country suspended beauty pageants in June and replaced them with a national science competition for young women, sparking debate across the continent.

Miss South Sudan

Miss South Sudan has been held since independence in 2011 and remains one of the biggest stages for young women in the country. Past queens have used the crown to campaign for peace, unity and keeping girls in school.

What Burkina Faso did

Authorities in Ouagadougou suspended pageants while they review the rules, citing the need to protect the country’s cultural identity, social values and human dignity.

Two months later, the presidency launched HAKILI Mousso for young women who passed the science baccalaureate this year. Eighty-four took part and, after a week of preparation, sat tests in mathematics, physics and chemistry.

The top five in each subject won prizes. Each first-place winner received 2 million CFA francs, about $3,500, along with a motorcycle, a laptop and other rewards.

Days later, President Ibrahim Traoré hosted the winners at the presidential palace for nearly an hour and encouraged them to believe in their abilities, pursue careers in science and set big goals.

The debate

Reaction has been mixed. Some welcomed the move, with one Facebook user writing, “It is time we invest in internal beauty not just external.” Others noted that a single contest will not bring lasting change without wider investment in girls’ education.

Tell us

Should South Sudan replace Miss South Sudan with a science contest, or hold both? And do you know a young woman excelling in science, mathematics, medicine or engineering, at home or abroad? Tell us about her in the comments or send us a message, and we may feature her story.