Apart from the preliminaries and the swimsuit and evening gown showdowns during the coronation night, delegates that made it to the top 5 of Miss Universe 2022 were able to further prove themselves in the “Question and Answer” round, in which their communication skills as global ambassadresses of the organization were gauged.
Each one of the finalists had to randomly draw the name of the selection committee member who would ask them a question and they were only given 30 seconds to respond. The first one to showcase her wit and grace under pressure was Miss Venezuela, who was quizzed by Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam about the time that she felt shamed and how she turned that into a fuel.
“I actually have a press conference which is called the ‘Forbidden Dream,’ which talks about that forbidden dream when I wanted to become a fashion designer because I felt shame about it. I didn't feel it was possible for me to sustain my life. But I pursued it. And I demonstrated myself which was the most important thing, that following our dreams, our passions, we are able to leave an impact stamp in every single action we take,” Miss Venezuela Amanda Dudamel replied.
Miss USA R’Bonney Gabriel addressed judge Mara Martin’s question regarding another change that she would like to see in Miss Universe, by stating, “For me, I'd like to see an age increase because I am 28 years old and that is the oldest age to compete and I think it's a beautiful thing. My favorite quote is ‘if not now then when’ because as a woman, I believe age does not define us. It's not tomorrow, it’s not yesterday, but it's now. The time is now that you can go after what you want.”
Next was Miss Puerto Rico Ashley Cariño, who was asked by judge Big Freeda how she would represent all of this year’s delegates through her reign. She retorted, “I will represent all of these year's delegates because I am a mirror of what a woman is. I believe in the dream and the power that we all hold to make our dreams reality and that's why I’m standing here today. I know what it's like to believe in your dream, but I also know what it's like to find your voice. We are the voice of tomorrow so let your voice echo in the chamber of time. Because this is the power that we have and I will represent a woman like that.”
Miss Curacao Gabriel Dos Santos’ question was from judge Olivia Quido, who quizzed her what she would want to discuss with the leader of her country if she has the opportunity to speak. She said, “I think there's a lot to be discussed and I believe that Curacao is a multicultural country. And I believe that we should embrace all different cultures and also discuss the fact that I feel like sometimes, people feel excluded and we should not discriminate or have any type of bullying in the country.”
The last one was Miss Dominican Republic Andreina Martinez, who picked judge Emily Austin and was asked about the most significant obstacle that women in her country face and what should be done about it. She stated, “I believe the most significant obstacle women in my country face is access to education. There's a number of women and children in Dominican Republic that cannot go to school and don't have lack of access to go to them and I believe we should do something about it now. We need to make sure that kids are able to be kids, they want to play, to educate themselves. Not be mothers, not be wives. It is the moment now to take action, to make sure that Dominican Republic will have education.”
Video Courtesy of “IMG Universe, LLC” The Miss Universe Organization