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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider Mrs. Universe 2023 Meranie Gadiana Rahman vows to raise awareness about domestic violence, postpartum depression, and school bullying

Mrs. Universe 2023 Meranie Gadiana Rahman vows to raise awareness about domestic violence, postpartum depression, and school bullying

Published Oct 15, 2023 01:39 pm

At A Glance

  • Meranie, a Filipina beauty queen representing Hawaii in the competition, asked the world's communities to help her accomplish her goals as Mrs. Universe.
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Mrs. Universe 2023 Meranie Gadiana Rahman

Newly crowned Mrs. Universe 2023 Meranie Gadiana Rahman has pledged to use her reign to raise awareness about domestic violence and other important causes.

Meranie, a Filipina beauty queen representing Hawaii in the competition, asked the world's communities to help her accomplish her goals as Mrs. Universe.

"I am excited that we all can work together on our common advocacy to promote awareness and prevention of domestic violence and help one another with our individual goals. I have my advocacy of promoting awareness about postpartum depression and school bullying, which I suffered and survived," said Rahman during an exclusive online interview on Sunday.

Meranie added: "I will firmly push for the designated official day for each domestic violence awareness day, postpartum depression awareness day, and school bullying awareness day in each country. I humbly ask the world's communities to help me accomplish my goals."

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Reflecting on the winning power of Filipina beauty queens on the international stage, Meranie said: I believe that any beautiful, hard-working, passionate person with a pure heart can win the pageants. Previously, Filipinas were known for their hard work and dedication at work only. Only recently, it was realized that Filipinas can offer much more than that. Their exotic beauty was almost hidden. Thanks to beauty queens like Venus Raj, Pia Wurtzbach, Shamcey Supsup, and Catriona Gray for putting the Philippines on the map of international pageantry and inspiring others. I hope I have done the same for the Philippines and beyond in the Mrs. category."

Born and raised in Cagayan de Oro City, Meranie has lived in Hawaii for several years. Meranie said she feels blessed and honored to win the Mrs. Universe 2023 pageant.

"I feel very honored, empowered, blessed, and thankful to be winning the prestigious crown of Mrs. Universe as the first Filipina in 46 years of Mrs. Universe pageant. All the candidates are exceptional. We all did our best. I never felt that we were competing against each other. We were just like sisters having fun. Actually, some of them had already told me that I was their first choice, and it was so encouraging for me," said Meranie, who also competed in the Mrs. World pageant in the past.

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As she reminisced, Meranie thought back to the steps she had taken to prepare for the competition.

"I prepared for almost five to six years for this competition. I am very thankful to my husband, Dr. Inam Ikeda Rahman Perreira, for mentoring and coaching me. Besides being a medical doctor, he is a passionate pageant coach. He instilled the great value of positivity in my brain, He taught me catwalk, poise, and Q&A. Most importantly, he encouraged and stressed me to modify every category according to my way but within the proper criteria. I lost many pageants along the way, but I never gave up. I took each loss as a stairway to success," she said.

Sought to give a message to her fans, Meranie said: "First of all, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart for always supporting me through my ups and downs and celebrating this great success with me. I love them all because my success is our success. Please support my advocacy about domestic violence, postpartum depression awareness, and school bullying by sharing and standing for it because it is the advocacy of all of us and the right thing to do.

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"Also, my message to all the married women of the world is that you must know yourself, your talents, and your capacities and never be shy to use them appropriately. You can still be beautiful, healthy, happy, and very productive even if you are married and have children," the beauty queen added.

Now that she is in Hawaii, Meranie said she will miss her Mrs. Universe sisters.

"I have already accomplished a lot by making friends and developing deep bonds with almost 100 sisters from different countries, media men and Mrs. Universe organization, and my own Filipino and Hawaiian Community. It's so wonderful to have so many talented, smart, beautiful, and influential sisters," she added.

Meranie was crowned Mrs. Universe 2023 during the coronation night held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater in Pasay City last Oct. 8. Other winners were: Mrs. India UK, 1st runner-up; Philippines, 2nd runner-up; Mrs. Black Sea, 3rd runner-up; and Mrs. Moscow, 4th runner-up.

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