Big Buttocks contest
The contest, called the ‘Miss Bim-Bim’ pageant, is not a long-standing tradition in the small West African nation (106,000 sq. miles) but has been around only three years. It was scheduled to have taken place this weekend and 40 women, presumably all who possess a large buttocks, had entered.
But the poster, depicting women with extremely large butts, exaggeratingly large butts, was enough to set off a mini-firestorm on social media and the country’s government investigated the contest. They decided enough was enough and promptly banned ‘Miss Bim-Bim’ from ever taking place again.
“Our role is to do everything to avoid damaging the image of women,” Minister Laure Zongo, a minister in the Burkina Faso government said in a statement. Ms. Zongo noted that viewing the reaction on social media was a catalyst for the government to step in and ban the contest.
A man, Hamado Doambahe, was the organizer of the event and not surprisingly he condoned ‘Miss Bim-Bim’ when speaking to local media. Doambahe said it was held in part to encourage fashion designers to use African costumes and designs and to help create a positive body image for larger women.
He noted that such contests take place in other West African nations. The contest was to be held in the capital of Ouagadougou and was to have awarded a motorcycle to the first place winner and a vacation to the runner-up.
