Yodit Getahun
Yodit Getahun (born 12 February 1985) is an Ethiopian beauty pageant contestant. She was crowned Miss Ethiopia World for 2003, represented Ethiopia in three International pageants, and was awarded two titles. She participated in the "Miss Tourism of the Globe" Contest in Moscow, Russia where she won a minor sponsor title called "Miss Neva 2003". She was awarded the "Miss Congeniality" title at Miss Earth beauty pageant in Manila, Philippines. She was also sponsored by London-based , and participated in the Miss International Beauty Pageant in Tokyo, Japan.
Early life[]
Yodit Getahun was born in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia in 1985. She attended Addis Ababa University but did not graduate.[citation needed]
Miss Ethiopia World and controversy[]
In 2003, Getahun won the Miss Ethiopia World beauty pageant, run by the London-based .[1] As the winner of the title, Getahun was due to be paid 30,000 ETBirr over her year as title holder, to be the spokesperson for the Ethiopian Life Foundation. She started working with Dawn of Hope, and Ethiopian association working against HIV/AIDS, on a promotional film, but did so with permission from her managers at the Ethiopian Life Foundation, in breach of her contract. The project was ultimately unfinished.
The controversy escalated when Getahun refused to return to Ethiopia after representing Ethiopia at Miss International 2003 and Miss Earth 2003, suspending her education and remaining in the Philippines for almost 6 months after the Miss Earth pageant to try to secure movie deals. She was therefore stripped of her title mid-reign in February 2004,[2][3][4][5][6] becoming the only Ethiopian girl ever to be stripped of a national beauty title. She was succeeded by her first runner up, .[7]
Getahun also never returned to Ethiopia to hand over her crown to her successor at Miss Universe Ethiopia 2004, Ferehiyewot Abebe, who went on to become the first Ethiopian girl to go to Miss Universe in 2004.[6]
Getahun apparently returned to Ethiopia in March 2006.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Miss Ethiopia Org". Missethiopiaworld.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2005. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "Ethiopia's Miss World Tourism 2003 Yodit Getahun dethroned". ETHIOMEDIA.COM. 2004. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- ^ "Miss Ethiopia 2003 Dethroned". Tadias Magazine. Retrieved 19 April 2009.
- ^ "Miss Ethiopia 2003 dethroned". Ethiomedia.com. 21 February 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "Townbeat". Tadias. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Yodit Getahun Is Dethroned And Stripped Of Title". Missethiopiaworld.tripod.com. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
- ^ "YODIT GEHAUN STRIPPED OF TITLE". The Ethiopian Life Foundation OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2004.
External links[]
- MISS ETHIOPIA WEBSITE
- STATEMENT IN TADIAS MAGAZINE [permanent dead link]
- YODIT "CONTACTS" DAWN OF HOPE
- MISS ETHIOPIA WORLD 2005
- OFFICIAL PRESS STATEMENT ON DETHRONEMENT
- YODIT GETAHUN IS DETHRONED
- 1985 births
- Addis Ababa University alumni
- Miss Earth 2003 contestants
- Miss International 2003 delegates
- Living people
- Ethiopian beauty pageant winners
- People from Dire Dawa