The London Feminist Network argues that rather than being empowering, beauty pageants do the opposite: denying women's full humanity by subjecting them to objectification, denying their full humanity by maintaining that their primary purpose is to be attractive. Beginning in 1981, the International Year of the Disabled Person, campaigners in Australia targeted beauty pageants in order to, in the words of activist Leslie Hall, "challenge the notion of beauty" and "reject the charity ethic." High profile demonstrations led to some charities abandoning their use of such contests for fundraising and also saw some remove offensive language from their organisational titles.
The London Feminist Network argues that rather than being empowering beauty pageants do the opposite denying women's full humanity by subjecting them to objectification denying their full humanity by maintaining that their primary purpose is to be attractive Beginning in 1981 the International Year of the Disabled Person campaigners in Australia targeted beauty pageants in order to in the words of activist Leslie Hall "challenge the notion of beauty" and "reject the charity ethic" High profile demonstrations led to some charities abandoning their use of such contests for fundraising and also saw some remove offensive language from their organisational titles