Women’s rights are human rights

ATTORNEY Ysabel Bisnath was crowned the 2018 Miss TT pageant queen on Sunday at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain. She was the epitome of poise, confidence and intelligence as she beat nine other contestants.

In one of three question and answer segments during the gala event, Bisnath was asked women being murdered by men they were in relationships and what could be done about it. “I believe as a human rights lawyer that women’s rights are human rights. I am incredibly passionate about this issue,” she responded.

The 25-year-old who work with the Education Ministry said she believes one way to prevent these crimes from happening is for “greater education and socialisation of men to view women as their equals.” Her supporters in the audience cheered as she quoted a phrase from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. “Shakespeare has a saying, ‘frailty thy name is woman’,” Bisnath said.

She also believed that society has a misplaced sense of chivalry where women are seen to be weak. Bisnath said this is not something which should be tolerated. The audience cheered loudly in response to her answers. One particular row in NAPA was filled with people carrying a banner with Bisnath’s name on it, blowing horns and whistles and waving pom-poms.

Bisnath was crowned Miss World TT by Miss World 1986 Giselle Laronde West and last year’s Miss World TT winner Chandini Chanka. Bisnath also copped the awards for Miss Photogenic, People’s Choice and Multimedia. She will represent TT at the 2018 Miss World Pageant in Sanya, China on December 8.

Bisnath is a National Open Scholarship winner who studied law at Oxford University in England. She is fluent in French, Italian and Spanish and is an ambassador for a local charity “For the Love of Reading”, which is designed to increase literacy and build awareness in this area.

Tishanna Mitchell and Britney Smith were second and third runners-up, respectively. Smith won the Top Model award. Maya Cozier and Jessica James won the Top Talent and Sport and Fitness awards respectively.