Miss Papua New Guinea was recently stripped of her crown over a TikTok video in which she was twerking. The critics said that this reveals a deep-rooted culture of misogyny and sexism that exists in the island country.

Lucy Maino, 25 years old, shared a video of herself twerking on her private TikTok account. According to The Guardian, the clip was downloaded from her private account and was then shared widely on social media platforms. This led to sparking intense criticism and cyberbullying of Maino.

Many critics branded the dance as ‘inappropriate’ and said it wasn’t proper not fitting for a role model to make such videos. 

© Screenshot Facebook

After the backlash, Miss Pacific Islands Pageant PNG (MPIP PNG) committee took a stance to release Ms Maino, the 2019 winner of Miss Papua New Guinea from her duties.

MPIP PNG said in a statement, "After discussions with Miss Maino last week, MPIP PNG now formally advises that the reign of the 2019 crowned Miss Papua New Guinea had come to an end and Miss Maino has been released with immediate effect.”

"The MPIP PNG is focused on developing young women holistically, ensuring that they grow in terms of academia, social consciousness, personal development, and exposure to a bigger brighter world with awareness of issues facing PNG and the region," they added.

© Instagram Lucy Maino

The decision to take away the crown from Ms Maino has been criticized and The United Nations in Papua New Guinea called it an instance of surrendering to cyberbullying in a Facebook post.

Women’s advocate, told the Guardian, "The committee could have handled it better by first outlining the clause that she breached as a reigning queen ... I feel that they threw her under the bus and didn't give her a chance to come out and talk. That is not the way to go.”

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