Miss Universe 2025: India determined to take revenge, a mother of 4 children in her 50s competes

The Miss Universe 2025 pageant is heating up with interesting stories surrounding the contestants. While in India, the young beauty Manika Vishwakarma attracted attention when she was crowned Miss Universe of her country, in Bonaire, Nicole Peiliker – a 41-year-old mother of four – became an inspiration with the message "it's never too late to dream".

These two contrasting but parallel images show a revolution taking place in the criteria of the world's top beauty pageants.

Right from the selection round, Manika Vishwakarma stood out thanks to her lovely face and modern style. She is 1.7 m tall, has a balanced body and especially a confident demeanor. Not only beautiful, Manika is also a final year student majoring in Political Science and Economics, and at the same time pursues her passion for art as a dancer and model.

At 22, she represents a generation of dynamic young women who know how to balance study, art and career. It is this comprehensiveness that helps Manika be considered a model of "intellectual beauty" - an increasingly important factor in international beauty contests.

In contrast to Manika’s youthful appearance, Nicole Peiliker – the new Miss Universe Bonaire 2025 – brings a story full of experience. At the age of 41, a mother of four children, she still confidently stepped onto the stage and won.

Nicole holds a master's degree in Banking and Financial Services from Boston University (USA), has studied at many prestigious schools and has experience working at the Culinary Archives Museum of Johnson & Wales University. With a solid academic background, she shows that beauty comes not only from appearance but also from knowledge and will to live.

After winning the crown, Nicole sent the message: "It's never too late to dream. Bonaire is ready to go to Thailand." The short but powerful quote has inspired many women around the world.

Nicole's coronation is also a clear demonstration of the change in the criteria of Miss Universe. Previously, contestants were often limited by age, marital status and having children.

But in recent years, the organizers have expanded to allow women who are married or have children to participate. The official stance is emphasized: "Women have the right to decide their own lives; marriage or motherhood cannot be a barrier to dreams and success." This is considered a big step forward in promoting gender equality and creating more opportunities for diverse female role models.

In fact, in the 2024 season, contestants who were married or had children proved their appeal. Venezuela’s representative – Ileana Marquez Pedrosa – excellently won the 4th runner-up; Jennifer Colon of Puerto Rico made it to the top 12; and Davin Prasath from Cambodia became the first person who was married and had children to make it to the top 30. These achievements paved the way for Nicole Peiliker to confirm her position in 2025. Obviously, today’s audience is not only looking for a perfect beauty in appearance, but also wants to see the courage, intelligence and life journey of the contestants.

Interestingly, while Nicole represents a message that transcends age, Manika Vishwakarma affirms the power of youth. One side is maturity and experience, the other side is youthfulness, knowledge and the desire to rise. Although at two different extremes, they both bring the same value: women have the right to dream, strive and shine in their own way. The Miss Universe pageant, thanks to that, is no longer simply a "beauty arena" but is becoming a place to spread a humane message about diversity and equality.

Currently, more than 30 countries and territories have confirmed sending representatives to Thailand to compete in Miss Universe 2025. This is expected to be a dramatic season, with the contestants gathering from young faces like Manika to "age-limitless" models like Nicole. Vietnam has yet to announce an official representative, but the public expects a prominent face to participate to make a mark.

Miss Universe 2025 has not yet competed in the pageant but has already been revealed. Vietnam has no representative yet, who will compete? Minh Lợi17:01:47 11/08/2025Beauty site Missosology has just released its second prediction table for the Miss Universe 2025 contest. According to this prediction table, beauty Olivia from Ivory Coast is considered the most promising candidate for the crown.