Burkina Faso holds beauty contest for the "larger lady"

Judges at a beauty contest in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, have picked a winner weighing 117kg. The contest, held to overturn western criteria of selecting beauty queens, attracted 13 contestants.

Carine Riragendanwa, 27, was named Miss "Pog-Bedre" or Large Lady, at the contest jointly organised by the Ministry for the Promotion of Women.

The Burkina Faso contest was held at the same time as the latest Miss World competition was held in China.

Contrary to the western obsession with tall and thin beauty icons, many men in Africa find fat women attractive. The organiser of the event, Fatou Djiguiemde, told AFP news agency contestants weighing between 75kg and 130kg turned out to prove slender figures are not better than anyone else.

Free clothes

All the contestants at the celebration of big ladies paraded in front of an enthusiastic audience, first in traditional clothing and then in bathing suits.

They were later asked to talk for five minutes on a subject of current interest or concern, like Aids or poverty.

Miss Riragendanwa received gold jewellery, a motor bike and a selection of African dresses.

The beauty queen will also have her hair done and receive free clothes for a year.

The stiff competition saw a tie between Diane Yameogo who weighs 105kgs, and Christine Da weighing 100Kgs for the second position.

They both received $150 and a year's free clothing.