Crowns and contracts: evaluating labour rights and legal protections within Uganda’s beauty pageant sector

Abstract

Beauty pageants are a wide spread phenomena in Uganda. This research paper examines the ways in which the current legal regime in Uganda protects or fails to protect the economic rights of young female contestants of competitive beauty pageants. By employing a legaldoctrinal analysis and qualitative data collected through interviews with participants in the pageants, the research looks into how the law responds to the experiences and challenges faced by these participants. It further examines the legal recognition of their labour, the nature of contractual arrangements, and the presence or absence of legal protections against exploitation and sexual harassment. The research's findings show that there are gaps within the current legal framework which does not adequately address the unique working conditions within the pageantry industry. Many pageant participants operate in a legal grey area since they are not recognized as employees and this results into exclusion of such participants from labour protections under the law. In addition, the absence of proper channels for these contestants to report grievances makes them susceptible to infringement of their labour rights. This research proposes a redefinition of beauty pageant participation in the context of labour law. It suggests various legal and policy reforms aimed at safeguarding the rights and welfare of pageant participants including regulatory oversight and accessible mechanisms for reporting grievances. By highlighting these concerns, this work contributes to the promotion of gender equality. decent work and protection of vulnerable workers in Uganda's informal sector. Ultimately, this study calls for an ethical and rights-based model of governing beauty pageants in Uganda.