Getty Andea Meza was crowned at the 69th Miss Universe Competition.
Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza will crown her successor tonight in Eilat, Israel for the 70th Miss Universe Competition. The 26-year-old represented her home country of Mexico at last year’s pageant, beating out 73 other women for the title.
The 69th Miss Universe Competition was delayed by more than a year amid the coronavirus pandemic, People reported. Mario Lopez and Olivia Culpo hosted the event on May 16, 2021, in Hollywood, Florida.
Here is what you need to know about last year’s winner:
Meza Is From Chihuahua City, Mexico
Meza hails from Chihuahua City, Mexico, representing her home country at last year’s competition. She is the third Mexican woman to be crowned Miss Universe, according to Insider, with Lupita Jones winning the title in 1991 and Ximena Navarrete in 2010.
According to Newsweek, she previously represented Mexico at the 2017 Miss World and has held the title of Miss World Americas and Mexicana Universal.
Growing up, she was surrounded by “a large family,” according to Newsweek. The outlet reported she has two sisters and “around 40 cousins.”
According to her Miss Universe profile, she is now “the official Tourism Brand Ambassador for her hometown, Chihuahua, promoting the best touristic attractions and rich culture her beautiful home offers.”
Meza Is an Engineer & Activist
According to her Miss Universe profile, Meza “has a degree in software engineering,” with Newsweek reporting she graduated from the Autonomous University of Chihuahua. According to the outlet, “she is proud to be a woman who graduated in a male-dominated field of study.”
The Miss Universe Organization also lists her as an activist, who is “focused on women’s rights and currently works closely with the Municipal Institute for Women, which aims to end gender-based violence.”
“I see myself as an ambassador for human rights, it is something that matters a lot to me and I want young women to fight for their rights,” Newsweek quoted her.
The outlet reported she has also raised funds “for the downtrodden” in Indonesia, India and China. She has also used her social media as a platform to support Pride Month, HIV awareness and the cleft charity, Smile Train.
Meza Has Spoken Out Against Beauty Standards
People reported Meza was asked about changing beauty standards at the 69th Miss Universe Competition. In her final statement, she responded, “We live in a society that more and more is more than advanced, and as we advance as a society, we’ve also advanced with stereotypes.”
She continued, “Nowadays beauty isn’t only the way we look. For me, beauty radiates not only in our spirit, but in our hearts and the way that we conduct ourselves. Never permit someone to tell you that you’re not valuable.”
The outgoing Miss Universe, per her profile, “is also a certified make-up artist and model, who is also passionate about being active and living a healthy lifestyle.” According to People, that lifestyle includes being a fan of extreme sports and Crossfit.
The 70th Miss Universe Competition airs live from Eilat, Israel on December 12, 2021, at 7 p.m. Eastern time. It will be available on Fox and Telemundo.
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