By Monique Friedlander For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 05:08 GMT, 24 March 2019 | Updated: 05:11 GMT, 24 March 2019
View
comments
Miss Universe Australia has received it's fair share of criticism over the years, with detractors claiming that the pageant objectifies women and perpertuates sexist views.
But Miss Universe Australia NSW finalist Veronica Cloherty, 26, has urged naysayers to 'do their research' on the pageant world, insisting that the competition prioritises brains over beauty.
'The audition process now focuses more on you as a person, your intelligence, what you know and what your opinion is,' Veronica told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday.
'The focus is less on visuals and more on our personalities!' Miss Universe Australia NSW finalist Veronica Cloherty (pictured), 26, has out at critics who label pageants as objectifying and sexist
'The focus is on empowering women and making sure women feel like they are being heard', she added.
While Veronica admitted organisers do ask the women to submit photos of themselves, she claimed that 'the main focus is on a video diary we need to submit saying a bit about