Miss Kazakhstan Pageant Director Aizhan Ruzayeva Clarifies Contest Criteria, Says Words Taken Out of Context

At a press conference hosted by the Almaty Communications Service, pageant director Aizhan Ruzayeva announced the updated criteria for the contest, Orda.kz reports.

Initially, her words were interpreted as welcoming transgender women to participate:

We look not only at appearance but also at charisma. As for the parameters, any woman aged 18 and over, at least 165 cm tall, can participate. The competition is completely free — no entry fees at the national or regional level. Everyone is welcome. Let them be transgender. It’s a matter of choice. If a young woman feels this way, then she can already participate in the contest by default. We are open and inclusive. If a plus-size girl applies and she’s bright, charismatic, and beautiful, we’ll consider her too. The 90-60-90 standards have long been scrapped by international contests, and we’re following suit,Ruzayeva said. 

However, later she issued a clarification, stating that only female participants are eligible to take part, according to Kursiv.

This information was taken out of context and does not fully reflect what I said. I’ll repeat the requirements for contestants: young women aged 18 and older, from 165 cm in height, unmarried and without children, may participate in the castings and the competition. I emphasize – girls,
 said Ruzayeva.

Participants must be unmarried and without children. Married women and mothers have their pageants, such as Mrs. Kazakhstan.

In her initial statements, Ruzayeva also explained the unusual choice for the pageant’s final: the Almaty metro.

The Almaty Metro is the main artery of the city, and it is directly related to the theme of this year's competition. Our theme is ‘Freedom of Choice,’ and when we go down into the metro, we choose our path. What was before has remained in history. We respect past competitions and past management. But now we are new and moving in our own way,”said Aizhan Ruzayeva. 

The final is scheduled to take place at midnight on December 1. Organizers assured the public that metro operations will not be disrupted, as all setups will occur outside of service hours.

The event will be closed to the public and limited to 90 invited guests: experts, influencers, journalists, and bloggers.

It will be streamed online and aired on television.

Original Author: Anastasia Prilepskaya