SANTIAGO – Chile is holding a ‘best bum’ competition in its central city of Los Andes where hundreds of bikini-clad stunners have been showing off their derrieres despite protests from feminists that it could encourage violence against women.
Miss Reef Chile 2017 is being staged this week in the city Los Andes featuring 10 beauties who are judged on their booties.
Criticizing the event, the Observatory Against Street Harassment of Chile said the contest, which was won last year by Argentinian Veronica Vieyra, “turn women into objects” and promote “gender violence”.
A similar event in Argentina was shelved earlier this year for the first time in 24 years after criticism by feminist groups, and it was suggested Chilean organizers would cancel their version as well.
But event bosses have refused to bow to complaints and insisted they promote respect for women, reports El Siglo.
Reef Chile marketing manager Felipe Gonzalez said that organizers had been considering the future of events and discussing it with contestants amid protests, but decided to go ahead with a focusing on the healthy lifestyle of entrants.
“We decided to do it because we think we will find a healthy girl who works her body in a positive way. The event has been changing because the mentality of society has changed, the idea is to leave the woman on top, maybe in a few years it will no longer be called Miss Reef,” he added.
One contestant Maria Eugenia Vegas said: “This type of contest emphasizes what women evoke which is sensuality.
“In life there has to balance and not only does the brain have to be cared, but also the physical body.”
Despite refusing to cave into protesters, Reef Chile was delayed this year because of forest fires in the South American country.
