As women across the globe gather to determine who is the most beautiful and earn national pageant titles, one country is stepping away from the tradition. In late 2024, Miss Netherlands organizer Monica Van Ee announced that the pageant would no longer be held, declaring the feminine beauty competition “no longer of its time.”
Another reason for canceling the 35-year-long competition was that the contestants and winners continued to face scrutiny from the public. In 2023, Rikkie Kolle was crowned Miss Netherlands, making history as the first transgender woman to win the title. However, her victory came with a dark side. Protesters and anti-trans advocates railed against her online and even made death threats.
“The candidates would [be] accused of being too white, too black – or that they shouldn’t win regardless of their looks because of their convictions,” Van Ee said. “This generates negative energy every year.”
While the pageant will not be held this year, Van Ee will work alongside the 2024 winner, Amber Rustenburg, to launch a new program to support and empower young women in the Netherlands. The new program, “No Longer of This Time,” will follow Van Ee’s rationale.
“Women are insecure due to, among other things, the rise of social media and its unreal images of beauty,” Van Ee said. Now, with No Longer of This Time, she’s hoping to reach out to some of the most vulnerable women worldwide.
“After years of history full of glamor, talent, and inspiration, Miss Netherlands is saying goodbye to the name that found itself in many people’s hearts. But this is not the end; it is a new beginning. The world is changing, and we are changing with it,” the organization said in an official statement. “Miss Netherlands is transforming into No Longer of this Time: a platform that revolves around mental health, social media, diversity, self-expression, and much more. No more crowns, but stories that connect. No dresses, but dreams that come to life.”
