Is Miss Haiti 2014 Carolyn Desert A Feminist Dream?

Miss Haiti 2014 Carolyn Desert had practically already won the pageant before her name was called. The Epoch Times reported that the crowd was “chanting her name” when the crown was brought on to the stage, and once Desert put the crown on her head — they broke into a standing ovation. Perhaps feeling the love of the people, Miss Haiti made her acceptance speech all about them.

“I’m going to support the youth. I’m going to support women. I’m going to support the poor.”

Just what made Miss Haiti 2014 so popular? It might be that Carolyn is much more than your typical beauty queen. The new Miss Haiti is a freelance writer who owns her own Mexican restaurant in capital city Port-au-Prince.

Furthermore, she has stood strong against online debate about her sharply cut short hair, appearing as only one of two women in the competition who did not opt for hair extensions or other longer styles. Her answer about what makes Haitian women great didn’t touch on looks, but on their “perseverance, courage, [and] resilience.” This statement came despite the fact Desert won the competition’s “Most Photogenic” award, according to MSN News.

A warm embrace from feminists for Miss Haiti 2014 would differ sharply to the response to 2014’s Miss USA Nia Sanchez of Nevada, who awoke a string of angry criticism after her response to a question about rape on college campuses across America. Miss Nevada responded that women should learn to defend themselves, according to Town Hall.

“I think more awareness is very important so women can learn how to protect themselves. Myself, as a fourth-degree black belt, I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself. And I think that’s something that we should start to really implement for a lot of women.”

While Miss Nevada was not without her supporters for the comment, a slew of angry Twitter responses condemned her for putting the burden on women to prevent sexual assault, reported Twitchy. Miss Haiti 2014 has even larger domestic sexual violence problems than Miss Nevada faces — Haiti has an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 men, women and children living in forced labor and sex slave conditions, according to a 2012 UN Report.

But Miss Haiti 2014 is already a part of the solution. Carolyn works with underprivileged children and artists as part of her charity work. The Restavek Freedom Foundation — who work to rescue sex slaves in Haiti — were among those cheering for the new Miss Haiti upon her win, reported The Epoch Times.

An interview for the pageant below — although not available in English — can help you see just how captivating Miss Haiti 2014 is in action. You can see more of her at the 2014 Miss World pageant in London later this year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi4O1oWYBjY

[Image via Twitter]