Aug 24, 2023
Scholarship & Service-Based Pageant Increases Age Limit Disrupting Traditions
The Miss Sweetheart Organization has announced that it is raising the age limit for Miss contestants to allow single, engaged, divorced, and mothers to compete between the ages of 20 and 38. Recent studies indicate that women get married later, with the average single woman in the US being 36-38 years old. Previously, these young women were excluded from the "Miss" division in pageantry, which prevented them from receiving scholarships and opportunities available to those awarded the esteemed Miss title.
According to recent statistics, more and more women are choosing to remain single, with the number of single women in the United States increasing by 23% since 1995. Additionally, women are facing increasing levels of student debt, with the average amount owed by women being $2,700 more than that of men. The Miss Sweetheart Organization is proud to be a representation of today's women.
"We believe that women should have equal access to educational, entrepreneurial, and career resources while also pursuing family life," said Sable Albanese, former beauty queen turned CEO for the Miss Sweetheart Organization. Effective immediately, this change opens up opportunities for more capable women to navigate life, career, and family challenges to compete for the prestigious titles of Miss World Sweetheart and America's Miss Sweetheart.
In addition to the Miss division, the Miss Sweetheart Organization also has a Teen division, with America's Teen Sweetheart being open to young women between the ages of 13 and 19.