 "Miss Netherlands 2024 winner Amber Rustenberg along with Director Monica van Ee. Image courtesy: Instagram/@ambertamaraa")
Running for over three decades, the Miss Netherlands beauty pageant is being discontinued.
Organisers have announced plans to replace the contest with a new initiative focused on mental health and promoting positive stories.
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Director Monica van Ee has introduced a platform called “no longer of this time,” a shift away from traditional pageantry.
Why is the Netherlands scrapping the beauty pageant? What is ‘no longer of this time’?
“Times have changed and we are changing with the times,” the organisers of the beauty pageant said in a statement.
The new initiative, Niet meer van deze tijd (No Longer of This Time), will focus on empowering young women by sharing stories that address struggles with social media, unrealistic beauty standards, and mental health challenges, alongside celebrating successes.
The statement said, “No more crowns, but stories that inspire. No dresses, but dreams that come to life.”
Monica explained in a blog that while the competition once provided a springboard for young women, the new platform will focus on timeless values of mutual support and collaboration among women.
“Perhaps a sash and a crown are no longer of this time. But women who support each other and help each other, that is timeless for us,” she said.
Notably, the Miss Netherlands competition gained international attention in 2023 when Rikkie Kolle became the first transgender woman to win the title. Speaking to AFP during an interview, Kolle said that she hoped her win would inspire young people from the transgender community.
Van Ee said the new platform should be “a place to show your authentic self and a world where we celebrate real life. Without the pressure to conform to a perfect image.”
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The focus of the platform would be on topics like self-expression, diversity, mental and physical health, creativity, and societal change, according to NL Times. “We’ll bring in experts and individuals with personal experiences to address the big issues of today,” she added.
It also aims to amplify young women’s voices and provide opportunities for collaboration. “Social media and youth are often viewed negatively together,” Van Ee noted. “We want to shift that narrative and create something positive.”
The Miss Netherlands competition began in 1989, evolving from the Miss Holland contest that started in the 1930s. While the rebranded pageant prioritised societal engagement over physical beauty, Van Ee believes the future lies in new initiatives that reflect modern values.
Who is the last Miss Netherlands?
Amber Rustenberg, crowned in June, will remain the final Miss Netherlands. She also plans to dedicate the remainder of her tenure to promoting the new platform.
The 23-year-old entrepreneur from Amsterdam won the national title by surpassing nine other finalists. According to the judges, Rustenberg was chosen because she is “eloquent, authentic, intelligent, confident, positive in life, and has a warm personality which she radiates on stage.”
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When the contest made headlines in 2023
In 2023, the competition made headlines for crowning a transgender woman for the first time in its 94-year history. Rikkie Valerie Kolle made history as Miss Netherlands 2023, becoming the first transgender woman to win the title.
Reflecting on her victory, Kolle said, “I was in full disbelief the moment they called my name, I was like ‘oh my god, is this really happening’?”
“You’re living through a really intense but also energising period. And you just want to finish the great final with other contestants,” she added.
The official Instagram page of the beauty pageant shared the jury’s remarks in a post: “This finalist shined throughout the show and has also made the greatest progress along the way. She has an iron-strong story with a clear mission. The jury is convinced that the organisation will enjoy working with this young woman. Miss Netherlands 2023 is… Rikkie.”
Kolle, a model and actor of Dutch and indigenous Moluccan descent, lives in Breda and previously appeared on Holland’s Next Top Model.
Celebrating her win on Instagram in her native Dutch, she wrote, “I did it! It’s unreal but I can call myself Miss Netherlands 2023. It was an educational and wonderful process, my year can no longer be broken.”
She continued, “I’m so proud and happy, I can’t describe it. I’ve made my community proud and shown that it can be done. And yes, I’m a trans woman and I want to share my story, but I’m also Rikkie and that’s what counts for me. I did this on my own strength and enjoyed every moment.”
With inputs from AFP