Dec 22 - Mrs Gibraltar's 1st Princess Ivanka Howe Speaks Of Mrs Globe Experience
It was an eye-opening experience for Mrs Gibraltar’s 1st Princess Ivanka Howe who travelled to Shenzhen in China to represent Gibraltar at the Mrs Globe beauty pageant.
Ivanka, 30, said she was fortunate to live in a small and safe community in Gibraltar, and it was the message she took with her when she represented the Rock during the pageant.
She added: “It’s an amazing pageant and I’ve had the best time. I met some wonderful ladies and got to hear their stories.
“The interview experience was an eye opener for me. You get to hear how difficult life has been for other women and how they have overcome it, and how they have become the women they are today.
“I came to realise how lucky I am to be living here in Gibraltar, to live in such a small and safe community, and we hardly hear about crimes, the women out there have gone through such tough life experiences in countries such as Zimbabwe, British Virgin Islands and many others.
“These women have been abused, raped, lived through poverty, lived through wars, and these women have worked hard to over come it.
“When it was my turn to speak after hearing those stories, I felt like the luckiest person on earth – I have a good family, job, great parents and I live in a safe place.”
Ivanka was given a fast-track entry into the pageant after winning the European Vote in the Mrs Europe pageant that was held in Tenerife earlier this year.
The Mrs Globe pageant saw contestants from all over the world, and from all walks of life, who came to represent their country over a period of 15 days in Shenzhen. The pageant supports the WIN Foundation – a non-profit charity which helps towards empowering women in need.
Ivanka explains that the Mrs Globe pageant focuses on interviews and getting to know the contestants not just for their beauty, but their personality as well.
While Mrs South Africa was crowned Mrs Globe, Ivanka was crowned Mrs Globe Gibraltar, as well as winning the talent contest and runner up for the most beautiful smile and contestant of the year.
While being in China was a bit of a culture shock for Ivanka, she would recommend the experience to anyone looking into entering Mrs Gibraltar next year, to then go on to represent Gibraltar.
She said: “It was a great experience and I met people from all over the world, and I’ve made friends with women who I know I’ll stay friends with for life.”
{fcomment}
