Let's take positive steps towards changing perceptions on pageantries - Organizer of Miss Health Ghana pageant

Madam Gladys Akyere Rockson, Chief Executive Officer of Lamrock Agency, organizers of the Miss Health Ghana pageant, has called for the need to highlight the positive impact of pageantries in the development of the country.

Over the past few years, beauty pageantries in Ghana are perceived as pimping platforms where pageant ladies are procured as sexual companions for some rich persons in society.

However, according to Madam Rockson, the dominant narrative that pageantries shows were being used for pimping had to change, because some were playing vital roles in the country's development across various endeavours.

"We have very influential women in the Ghanaian society including Madam Brigitte Dzogbenuku, PPP 2020 Presidential Candidate and a former winner of Miss Ghana (1990) who has positively impacted the society. So you would realise that many ladies through their various initiatives have helped changed lives and we have to draw on some of these positives.

"Although some pageant contestants have been exploited in the past, the Miss Health Ghana platform for instance has dedicated its course to the creation of awareness on mental health.

"We have regional health ambassadors who are spearheading this campaign and we have been able to partner with some government agencies, private agencies and some highly astute individuals to pursue this agenda and we have many success stories to share," she said in an interview.

She called on other organisers to share various projects they had undertaken to shed them in a good limelight to change the pimping perception.

Notably, the Miss Health Ghana pageantry won the Best Beauty Pageant of the Year at this year's Ghana Outstanding Women's Award with Serwaa Manu crowned as its new queen.