WHEN Derron Attz conceptualised the Ms South Mature Pageant TT some 20 years ago, with the aim of empowering women, Trinidad and Tobago did not yet dream of having a female prime minister, President or commissioner of police.
'Looking back, I did not know how visionary the idea was back then, to create a model such as this, to provide a voice for women that is so relevant today.
'Women have held their positions in society and broken every glass ceiling, not only in TT, but in the region (and) Caribbean women have become celebrities across the globe,' Attz said.
On Sunday, one of six women, who will become the Ms South Mature 2023, will be awarded her sash at the Creative Arts Centre, San Fernando, from 4 pm.
The event will also double as a launch of International Women's Day 2023.
The pageant is scheduled for Mother's Day, May 14, at a venue yet to be decided.
The last show was held in 2019, before the pandemic. The reigning queen is Dinella Alleyne-Blaize, a 46-year-old mother of seven from Marabella.
Attz said he wanted to create a platform for women to show there is life after reaching a certain age and maturity, and to open avenues for them to continue to achieve.
'The main focus of this pageant is not just on outward beauty, it is about showing the world that not only young, slim women can enter pageants, but mature women can also portray themselves in a positive light on stage.'
He said it is also about emotional intelligence, social issues, talent, and poise, and over the past 20 years, the pageant has helped to boost the confidence of over 100 delegates who have embraced the competition.
'The objective was to raise the profile, support, awareness, interest and opportunities for the mature women, so they can continue to play a part in the further development of our country, to promote awareness of our creative and cultural talents to the world.'
He said the show has achieved that, as winners have had the opportunity to travel abroad and represent the country as ambassadors in fashion and pageantry
Glamour and glitz are not only what the pageant promotes, he said, itemising some of the activities in which past queens have been involved, such as walkathons, breast-cancer awareness, HIV/Aids lectures, depression awareness, feeding the poor, helping displaced families, assisting at homework centres for children and adult schooling for housewives who were not able to complete secondary school education, hosting free Pap smear drives and blood-pressure testing campaigns.
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