to serve as a judge at the recent Miss Bermuda contest.

Her decision was labelled "totally inappropriate'' by a local resident in a letter to The Royal Gazette last week.

In the letter, Ms Rhonda Neil wrote that when women are judged on their looks and bodies, it is "demeaning'' and "humiliating'' and reduces them to "a compilation of physical attributes.'' "As the head of a Government board whose purpose is to address the needs and concerns of women in Bermuda, I believe it was totally inappropriate for Ms Young to judge the contest,'' Ms Neil wrote.

She pointed out she did not know of any pageants for men in which they "are paraded around wearing bathing suits and judged by how physically attractive they are.'' "I do not believe young men would agree to participate in such a contest because they would feel the experience is humiliating,'' she said.

"I can understand a contest in which young people are evaluated upon their aspirations and achievements and given recognition for their accomplishments.

But beauty contests will always evaluate women as physical objects and emphasise that their identity is a reflection of their appearance.'' Ms Neil added Mrs. Young's decision to judge the contest did not make her or the Women's Advisory Council appear to be interested in the many serious issues facing women today.

Those issues, she said, included the increase of violent crime against them and their children, their lack of representation in Government and their lack of career opportunities.

However, Mrs. Young said Miss Bermuda contestants were not only judged on their physical appearance but also on their ability to communicate, their health and intelligence.

"Essentially the young women were judged on whether they would make good ambassadors for Bermuda,'' Mrs. Young replied. "The judges had one-on-one interviews with all the contestants. It was not just a matter of them parading before us.

"Women have to be proud to be women.'' She added that she would judge the Miss Bermuda pageant again but would not judge a contest that in which women are judged solely on their beauty.