Nineteen-year-old Miss Valelevu Ailava Samuel
Nineteen-year-old Ailava Samuel is using the 2025 Nasinu Festival to challenge harmful beauty standards in the Pacific.
Samuel states her advocacy is based on the beauty standards we have right now in the Pacific, adding that these ideals have fueled racism, colorism and online bullying.
“It saddens me that these beauty standards have caused people to be so racist, colorist, and even come to the fact that this is so normalized they think it is okay to talk about people negatively online which they don’t know that its cyber-bullying and I want to give voice to that and use this platform to give light to that issue.”
Samuel emphasizes that the festival is not just about competition but also about building friendships and learning from fellow contestants.
She is determined to promote positivity and raise awareness about the real harm caused by cyber-bullying.
Through her advocacy, Samuel aims to reshape perceptions of beauty, challenge discrimination and encourage a more inclusive and respectful online culture in the Pacific.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
