VOICER Afghanistan's first entry in a beauty pageant in decades

VOICED BY: VERA FRANKL

00 00 ‘Miss Afghanistan’, Vida Samadzai walking
00 05 Make-up kit, tilt up to Samadzai’s face
00 10 Make-up inside bag
00 12 Samadzai putting make-up on her face
00 16 Lipstick being applied on lips
00 20 Legs, tilt up to Samadzai putting on make-up
00 26 Make-up being applied on eyes
00 29 SOUNDBITE (English): Vida Samadzai, Miss Afghanistan:
“Being in this pageant it gives me a chance to speak up, send my voice out there and let people know that the Afghans are in great need of help whether its the children, Afghan women, just Afghans, period.”
00 43 Samadzai putting on make-up
00 51 Samadzai with food in canteen, greets other contestants
00 59 Other Miss Earth contestants walking, boarding bus
01 03 Banner on bus reading ‘Miss Earth’
01 05 Samadzai boarding bus
01 10 Bus leaving
01 21 ENDS

SUGGESTED LEAD IN:

An Afghan woman denounced by her country’s Supreme Court for wearing a bikini during a beauty pageant said she wore the skimpy attire to raise awareness about the situation in her homeland.

Samadzai is a contestant in the ‘Miss Earth 2003’ beauty pageant.

She lived in the Afghan capital, Kabul, until 1996, when she moved to the United States to study.

Samadzai has not returned to Afghanistan since then, but is an advocate of Afghan women’s and children’s rights.

SUGGESTED VOICE OVER:

00 02
Twenty-three-year-old Vida Samadzai is preparing to compete in the Miss Earth beauty pageant, which is being held in the Philippines.

00 11
She will be up against women from 56 other countries from across the world.

00 16
But Vida is a contestant with a difference.

00 18
She holds the title of ‘Miss Afghanistan’ – the first person to do so in 30 years.

00 23
Vida hopes her participation will raise people’s awareness about the plight of her country.

00 29
SOUNDBITE: (English)
“Being in this pageant it gives me a chance to speak up, send my voice out there and let people know that the Afghans are in great need of help whether its the children, Afghan women, just Afghans, period.”
SUPERCAPTION: Vida Samadzai, ‘Miss Afghanistan’

00 43
Miss Earth’s organisers have given Vida a warm welcome.

00 47
But her participation has enraged the Afghan Supreme Court.

00 51
During an earlier phase of the contest she wore a two-piece red swimsuit. She will wear the same item again during Sunday’s show.

00 59
The supreme court said it was a display of the female body which goes against Islamic law and Afghan culture.

01 06
Vida says she wasn’t comfortable wearing the bikini, but believes it was something she had to do in order to realise her goals.

01 13
At Sunday’s coronation she will find out whether her bold move has paid off.

01 23
ENDS

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