Luanda, Angola: A woman who lost part of her leg when she stepped on a land mine won Angola's Miss Landmine Survivor contest.

Eighteen women took part in yesterday night's beauty pageant in Luanda, the capital. The contest was open to women maimed in land mine explosions and was devised to raise awareness of their plight.

The women posed in long gowns and in swimsuits during the televised show. They all wore artificial limbs.

Angola's two-decade civil war ended six years ago but as many as 8 million land mines remain buried in the African country's soil. Land mines claim at least 300 victims a year in Angola, according to the United Nations Mine Action Center.

The Minister for Family Affairs, Candida Celeste, said the event would help people left disabled by the war to regain their self-esteem. There are around 80,000 amputees in Angola, most of them victims of land mines.

"They showed that they can, that they are able," Celeste told reporters after the contest. "This will provide encouragement to all those left invalid by the war."

The contestants were chosen by organizers from each of the Southwest African country's 18 provinces.

The winner, Augusta Urica, 31, was to receive a custom-made artificial limb. She also got US $ 2,500 and a variety of domestic appliances. The prizes were presented by Angola's First Lady, Ana Paula dos Santos.

The contest, which was the first such event in Angola, was organized by Morten Traavk, a Norwegian artist who was moved by the plight of the country's mine victims. Angola's National De-mining Commission and the European Union also provided support.
Source : PTI