Miss Global PHL 2016 slams organizers as she shares her sexual harassment story

Another queen has spoken up against pageants, claiming  organizers are fostering a culture that benefits sexual predators.

Miss Global Philippines 2016 Camille Jensen "CJ" Hirro on Monday stepped forward to confirm that "sexual harassment in the pageant world is real" via a post on Instagram.

CJ, who also revealed that she is a survivor of rape, lamented that "oftentimes, it's the organizers who pave the way for it, whether intentionally or otherwise."

The beauty queen proceeded to detail her experience during an office blessing, which turned out to be a private party. According to CJ, there were "4 girls in a sea of about 30 drunk men."

This incident, she said, is not a unique experience. CJ said that friends who also won beauty pageants were subjected to degrading instructions.

"I know of a batch of pageant winners who were sent to a sponsor's house in Forbes for a victory party, where they were told that whoever's the friendliest gets an LV bag. I know the girls were uncomfortable there because they were sending me messages," CJ said.

 

 

 

 

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Here's my #QueenUp story to #CleanTheQueendom . ????????????

A post shared by cjsuperhirro (@cjsuperhirro) on

Nov 12, 2018 at 4:45am PST

CJ has previously spoken out against beauty queens being invited to private parties to prevent them from having the same experience. Instead of praise, CJ said she was instead met with a barrage of insults.

"I have been called many things for being a staunch advocate of making the pageant world safer for women: liar, bitter, ingrate, a has-been, disrespectful, condescending, pabida, et cetera."

Now that more women are speaking up, CJ hopes that it will foster changes in the pageant scene.

Earlier in the month, Miss Earth Canada 2018 Jaime VandenBerg revealed that she chose to drop out of the pageant because a "sponsor" propositioned her in a sponsored dinner at the Manila Yacht Club.

Miss Earth England 2018 Abbey-Anne Gyles-Brown and Miss Earth Guam 2018 Emma Sheedy followed suit, confirming Jaime's claims and sharing their own experience of harassment.

Miss International 2013 Bea Rose Santiago also came forward with her own experience with a "well-known CEO of a big company" who touched her inappropriately.

In her post, CJ said she knew of two more beauty queens who had to fight off sponsors who went into their rooms.

"I really hope that someday, there will be a body that will govern all national male and female pageants from payment of promised winnings, conduct of pre[-] and post[-]pageant activities, and contract review, among many.

"Pageant directors and organizers should be subjected to yearly reviews for clearance to conduct another pageant, and should be penalized for wrongdoings," CJ asserted.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into claims made by three Miss Earth candidates that they experienced sexual harassment during the conduct of the pageant in the country. — Aya Tantiangco/LA, GMA News