Raz Schenirer was 20 when her mum entered her into the Miss Israel beauty pageant. Her national service had just finished, and she had some spare time before starting university – so, she thought, why not?
The Miss Israel competition, which crowned Hollywood star Gal Gadot as a winner in 2004, was once one of hundreds of contests that take place annually around the globe, where women parade on stage in varying outfits, winning points for talent, personality, charity work and other criteria. Schenirer, now a writer based in New York, recalls standing in heels and a bikini, in front of a panel full of strangers – an experience that left her feeling broken and insecure and “like a piece of meat”.
