For years, long wigs and flowing weave extensions have reigned supreme among West African beauty pageants, with contestants spending hundreds of dollars on their hair just to meet the unspoken glam standard.
But now, a few organizers from Ivory Coast (also known as Cote D’Ivoire) are challenging tradition right from the get-go.
As reported by BBC, wigs, weaves, and hair extensions are now prohibited in the preliminary stages of the competition, which takes place in 13 cities nationwide.
“We want the candidates to be natural, whether with braids or straightened hair, it should be their own. Beauty must be raw,” said Victor Yapobi, the president of the Miss Ivory Coast organizing committee.
Currently, Ivory Coast is the only West African country enforcing the ban for a national competition.
Yapobi said the organizers of the Ivorian competition have long advocated for a more natural beauty standard, with practices like cosmetic surgery and skin lightening frowned upon.
“We decided this year to truly showcase the natural beauty of these young women,” he added.
Other changes being implemented include allowing shorter women to compete, with the minimum height now set at 1.67 m (5.4ft). The age limit has also been increased by three to 28 years, and the entrance fee was lowered by more than $30 (£25) to $50.
“This change in criteria is because we observed these young women were putting up a lot of money to participate, and it was becoming a bit of a budget drain,” Yapobi said.
The move, which aims to celebrate natural African beauty, has ignited a heated debate throughout the country, where wigs and extensions are widely favored.
Some contestants are overjoyed by the new rules, with most feeling they now have a better chance of success. However, others are less than thrilled with the decision.
“I would see other girls with long, artificial hair, and they looked so beautiful,” 21-year-old Emmanuella Dali, a real estate agent, told the news outlet. “This rule gives me more pride as a woman – as an African woman.”
Another contestant, make-up artist Astrid Menekou, felt the rule removed an element of personal expression.
“I’m a wigs fan. I love wigs,” she said. “I didn’t expect this rule! But now? I like my hair, and that’s OK.”
For some, the new rule has made them rethink beauty standards.
“Last year, I had extensions because I thought that’s what beauty meant,” 25-year-old Laetitia Mouroufie said. “This year, I feel more confident being myself.”
With the preliminary rounds underway, arguments over whether beauty pageants should set the standards or if women should have the freedom to define their own beauty continue.
The result could be a more inclusive approach, where women have the freedom to alternate between natural hair, wigs, or weaves.
President Yapobi noted that the feedback he’s received about the new rules has been “extraordinary,” with clear signs that the change is making an impact.
“Everyone congratulates us. Everyone, even from abroad. I receive emails and WhatsApp messages from everywhere congratulating us for wanting to return to our roots,” Yapobi said.
He added that no decision has been made yet about whether the wig and weave ban will extend to the 15 contestants who make it to the final of Miss Ivory Coast 2025.
“If it works, we’ll continue and carry on this initiative in the years to come,” he said.
So far, only two women with natural hair have been crowned Miss Ivory Coast. The most recent was Marlène-Kany Kouassi, who claimed the title in 2022.
Her victory was not only rare in Ivory Coast but also remarkable globally, as Western beauty standards often dominate beauty contests and the judges’ preferences.
Then,, last December, Angélique Angarni-Filopon, from the French Caribbean Island of Martinique, made headlines when she was crowned Miss France, mainly because of her age (34) and because she sported short Afro hair.
“Winning with natural hair shows the true beauty of African women,” she said at the time.
