By Violet Li
Standing in a nice dress with red lips and rosy cheeks has been Irin Sultana’s wildest dream since her university era.
After nine years of waiting, the Botanic Ridge resident was finally crowned on the stage as the second runner-up of Mrs Femina Beauty Australia 2023 and the winner of Best Fashion Wear of the contest on 1 October.
“When I was in college, I felt like I would love to do the makeup and model,” she said.
Originally from Bangladesh where she said many parents are introverted and don’t very often support girls’ beauty pageant dreams, Irin made up her mind if one day she got any chance, she would just do it.
“I have seen girls doing beauty competitions in Bangladesh. They came from small villages and didn’t know anything, but they groomed themselves up very nicely because they wanted to do something,” she recalled.
“I just got the motivation from there. If those girls can do it, why can’t I?”
Time flashed and when Irin discovered Miss/Mrs Femina Beauty on a Facebook page, she was no longer that university girl. Now, she is a mother of two children, living in Australia.
She decided to take a shot.
“It was really hard because my daughter is just two years old. Whenever I send my baby to the childcare, I would get a little bit of free time so I can organise preparation for myself,” she said.
“I have watched lots of things on YouTube and I practised at home.
“My husband helped me a lot. Without his help, I can’t do anything.”
After squeezing as much extra time as possible for six months, Irin forged ahead to Brisbane on her own for the two-day event with another 18 contestants.
And she did it.
“I would like to let every woman know if you want to do something, of course you can. So never give up,” she said.
If you have the passion, you can do it.
“If you get the baby, it doesn’t mean that’s it.”
In addition to sharing her belief and happiness with the community, Irin wanted to represent her mother tongue and motherland, Bangla and Bangladesh, to raise awareness to girls and women who are suffering from endometriosis which causes severe pain during periods.
“Most people don’t know what endometriosis is and why the pain is happening. From our teenage times, we heard from our parents that it was a normal thing. Everyone gets that pain, and it will go away when you get married or get pregnant,” she said.
“But that is not true because I still got endometriosis after I gave birth.
“Now the thing is I literally can’t move when I got period.”
Irin thought it would be great timing to talk about this.
“If people know me through that competition and if I’m telling them something, they may think about a bit what I said,” she said.
“If the workplace can support girls who are suffering from the pain when they are in the workplace, that will be amazing.”
She emphasised that though the health system in Australia was no doubt good, the waiting time for the treatment for endometriosis was too long.
She had her first laparoscopy surgery to inspect about three to four years ago after waiting for almost two years.
Now she has been waiting for a second treatment for around six months.
“People should not wait for that long. In the medical term endometriosis is not life-threatening, but I think it could be a hidden killer,” she said.
“Every month you have three to four days when you just feel pain, and it’s hampering your daily life.
“It’s not fun at all.”
