TRANSCRIPT: Miss Universe 2019 final word answers

MANILA, Philippines – Miss Universe 2019 took place on December 9, with the contestants from Mexico, South Africa, and Puerto Rico landing in the top 3. South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi was eventually crowned Miss Universe 2019 – which was no surprise considering her how she answered each question thrown at her throughout the night.

As part of the competition, the contestants not only had to answer individual questions about political issues such as climate change, privacy and reproductive health, but also give their take on a single question: “what is the most important thing we should teach young girls today?”

Here are their answers:

Sofia Aragon, Mexico

Steve it’s very important to teach young girls today the importance of their true value. We see so many perfection in social media, perfect lives, perfect bodies, perfect faces, perfect relationships. Nothing is that real. We have to teach them that who they are is already amazing, who they are is already worth it, because what they really are is not what it looks like, it’s what they feel, what they act, and the way they react to the world. I believe a girl is worth what she has to offer to the world, way more than the way she looks. Thank you.

Zozibini Tunzi, South Africa

I think the most important thing we should be teaching young girls today is leadership. It’s something that has been lacking in young girls and women for a very long time, not because we don’t want to but because of what society has labelled women to be. I think we are the most powerful beings in the world and that we should be given every opportunity and that is what we should be teaching these young girls, to take up space, nothing is as important as taking up space in society and cementing yourself, thank you.

Madison Anderson, Puerto Rico

There’s so many things that I would love to teach young girls if I have the opportunity to be the next Miss Universe, such as in a world where so many people wear masks, it’s such a beautiful thing to see an authentic soul, to embrace your uniqueness, to embrace who you are. You just don’t know who you can inspire just by being you, so celebrate that. Thank you. 

– Rappler.com