JKN Global's Anne Jakrajutatip graced the Miss Universe stage for the first time since she acquired organization in October 2022.

Speaking before pageant fans in New Orleans, USA on Saturday (Sunday in the Philippines), Jakrajutatip shared what it means for her to have the pageant be finally run by a woman.

“It has been 70 years that the Miss Universe Organization is run by men. Now, the time is up. It is the moment for women to take the lead,” she said.

• Thai-owned conglomerate acquires Miss Universe Organization

Describing this season as the “new era of the global women’s empowerment platform,” Jakrajutatip said: “From now on, it’s gonna be run by women, owned by a transwoman for all women around the world to celebrate the power of feminism, diverse cultures, social inclusion, gender equality, creativity, a force for good and the beauty of humanity.”

Jakrajutatip also shared how she used her past struggles as a motivation to reach where she is today.

“When I was born as a transwoman, [I was] bullied and sexually harassed by my own teacher when I was young, plus I was not accepted by society because they did not want to embrace my differences. But guess what? I chose not to surrender. I turned pain into power and I turned life lesson into wisdom,” she said.

“This stage called Miss Universe competition, we can elevate our women to feel strong enough, good enough, qualified enough and never be objectified again.”

Jakrajutatip went on to name Thailand’s representative as this year’s recipient of the Impact Wave Leadership Award.

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