Miss World Megan Young Gives Emotional Speech at Oxford Debate

Megan Young, crowned Miss World 2013, delivered a speech before a crowd of students at the Oxford Union to defend the pageant from detractors who say that it is demeaning to women.

In her emotional speech, Young recalled the most difficult part of being Miss World.

"And what... it hurts really, it really does hurt and sometimes you just can't help but cry. I'm sorry I'm getting really emotional because you know I've been through so many countries and it's just so difficult seeing them in this position and you know people are saying you're Miss World you should save the world, and to be honest, we can't really save the world as a whole, we're doing it part by part. We're not Superman. We're human too."

Some of the candidates for Miss World 2014 joined Young at the debate.

Miss England, Carina Tyrrell, defended the pageant from detractors claiming that women are judged more on the basis of their looks rather than brains.  

"You are surrounded by women who represent their countries. These are role models, they are role models to young women and role models to society."

Another contestant, Miss United States, Elizabeth Safrit, talked about the role of Miss World in her speech.

"Miss World allows women the chance to represent their countries. It allows us the chance to lead. Miss World is not a celebrity, she is an ambassador. She tells women all around the world again that it's okay to have an opinion. She makes changes happen. She identifies problems and she finds solutions. She changes the world."

Some of the students expressed their disappointment after the debate.

"I was a bit disappointed that it didn't have more of a debate, wasn't formed throughout the evening, perhaps, on the kind of moral issues behind having what's still fundamentally a beauty pageant. And having women from such privileged backgrounds being supposedly representative of their countries," said Kate Welsh, an Oxford University student.

Before the debate, Young and this year's candidates were given a tour of Oxford University's century-old buildings.

Young and the Miss World contestants are in London for the Miss World coronation night happening on December 14 at the ExCeL Arena.