Staged annually since 2012 and traditionally held on a cruise ship, the pageant differs from the regular Miss Universe as it is aimed at ladies measuring 167.5cm or less.
Organised by Hazely Corp, the main focus of the Petite pageant is to appreciate the beauty of smaller women by offering opportunities and special acknowledgment.
This year the international competition was held onboard the Carnival Paradise cruise ship which set sail from Tampa on July 18, 2016, to Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
Representatives from around 20 countries typically compete for the title, involving seven days of activities, on the cruise, which follows a route open to the general public.
Representing Portugal was 21-year-old, Canadian-born Chelsey Banks, who won the title.
Ms Banks, who lives in Canada but whose mother is Portuguese and whose family is from Manique do Intendente, is currently in Portugal, on holiday with family in Nazaré.
She told The Portugal News that her new title “is a strong representation of my love for my Portuguese background and family.
“This title also means that I will be able to find sponsorship and donations for the local organisation I volunteer at in London, Ontario, called SafeSpace. This space provides a safe haven for women on the street, with various items such as clothing, makeup, feminine hygiene products, and harm-reduction tools, solely run on donations”, she adds.
Ms. Banks first got into the beauty pageant industry by being scouted for the Miss Canada Globe national pageant back in 2013.
Since she has become a model with Mahistrado Fashions in Toronto, Ontario, as well as competing internationally at the Miss Petite Beauty International pageant, winning the title that qualified her to represent Portugal at the Miss Universal Petite international pageant, which she also went on to win.
The avid animal lover and volunteer says she can also “now use this international title to make appearances and promote my platform against animal cruelty.
“I am currently a brand ambassador for Ezzy Lynn, based out of Toronto, Ontario, which offers products handcrafted from vegan materials each representing a unique endangered animal. We are partnered with the World Wildlife Foundation and the proceeds from each item go towards symbolically adopting that specific endangered animal.”
She elaborates: “I also donate monthly to the Black Jaguar White Tiger Foundation and am considered a BJWT Angel. This foundation is a sanctuary in Mexico for animals that were raised in captivity, malnourished, and far from their natural habitat, to have a place to roam freely and be nurtured back to health. Many of these animals are rescued from the circus or people’s homes and there is no way that they can be released back into the wild after living in these conditions.”