Victoria Diana: Miss South Sudan Uganda uses her crown to advocate girls’ rights
Miss South Sudan Uganda, Victoria Diana, is not just wearing a crown — she’s using it as a beacon of light, guiding the next generation of South Sudanese girls toward education, health, and empowerment.
By Ajah Jennifer
Victoria Diana is not your ordinary beauty pageant. Other than dominating the beauty contest in Uganda and South Sudan, she has extended her hand beyond pageantry, to advocate on girls’ rights in South Sudan and Uganda.
In an exclusive interview with The City Review, Diana revealed her journey into the pageantry world, saying she ventured into the fold in 2024, the year she first contested for the position at an event in Uganda.
Raised by a single father, Diana faced unique challenges growing up — especially around access to crucial information about her health and development. It was this experience that fueled her desire to join pageantry. Her desire was not to win and wear just the crown, but also craft a platform that would raise awareness on adolescent sexual and reproductive health rights.
“Being raised by a single dad deprived me of important conversations about my body,” she shared. “I saw pageantry as a way to advocate for girls and create more awareness about their rights and health.”
Diana spoke candidly about the barriers that young girls face in accessing healthcare and education, especially those raised by single parents or living in marginalized communities.
She urged parents, especially single fathers, to go the extra mile in communicating with their daughters and providing guidance. She also emphasized on the importance of restoring traditional forms of mentorship — like storytelling and open conversations — to bridge generational gaps.
“Parents today are busier, but we need to make time. Girls need to feel safe, heard, and informed.”
Diana’s path to the crown wasn’t easy. Her father initially resisted her participation in beauty pageants due to societal misconceptions about modeling. But after seeing her performance in a previous competition dubbed “Miss Junubia”, his support transformed into admiration.
“He stood up proudly and said, ‘That’s my daughter,’” she recalled with emotion. “Since then, he has been my biggest supporter.”
Diana also addressed a widespread misconception that beauty queens are superficial or immoral. She offered a bold redefinition of the trade.
“Beauty is purpose. Beauty is a brain. Beauty is kindness and self-worth. To be a queen, you must be brave.” Far from the stereotypes often associated with pageantry, she uses her title to educate and uplift. Her core mission centers on empowering young girls through education, health awareness, and self-worth.
One of her key advocacy focuses is on hepatitis B awareness. Currently in Juba, she’s leading a campaign to inform communities about the disease, calling for widespread screening and vaccination, especially given the high infection rates in South Sudan. “Hepatitis B is real and dangerous,” she emphasized. “I urge everyone—young and old—to get screened and vaccinated. Prevention is better than cure.”
Launching Miss Yei
Beyond her ongoing hepatitis B campaign, Diana is working to launch Miss Yei, a local pageant initiative to empower girls in her home region. She hopes the project will provide more girls with platforms to lead and speak out.
“There has never been a Miss Yei,” she noted. “I want to change that. I’m calling on sponsors and organizers to support this dream. To the girls of Yei — be ready.”
As she concluded, Victoria left a message of unity, hope, and determination. “Let’s work together to overcome challenges like hepatitis B. And to every girl out there believe in yourself. You are enough. You are worthy. Stay focused and keep pushing.”
Miss South Sudan Uganda, Victoria Diana, is not just wearing a crown — she’s using it as a beacon of light, guiding the next generation of South Sudanese girls toward education, health, and empowerment.
