Joheirry Mola Dominguez
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I Having beaten 111 other contestant to the Miss World 2026 crown, Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic has been officially crowned the new Miss World, capping the prestigious pageant’s 75th anniversary celebrations in Vietnam.
The grand finale was held on Saturday night, September 5, 2026, at April 2 Square in the coastal city of Nha Trang, where Mola emerged ahead of a field of 112 international delegates to inherit the coveted blue crown from Thailand’s Suchata Chuangsri.
Spain’s Elisabeth Reynés Alabern was named first runner-up, while Malaysia’s Taanusiya Chetty finished as second runner-up, completing the top three.
Mola’s triumph is particularly significant for the Dominican Republic, as it marks only the second time the Caribbean nation has won the Miss World title. Her victory comes exactly 44 years after Mariasela Álvarez secured the country’s first Miss World crown in 1982.
The 24-year-old professional model, business management graduate of Universidad Iberoamericana and community advocate distinguished herself throughout the competition not only through her poise and presentation, but also through her commitment to education and social transformation.
At the decisive question-and-answer stage, contestants were asked to explain the causes they supported in their home countries and how they would expand those initiatives if crowned Miss World.
Mola used the opportunity to spotlight her Voices of Tomorrow initiative, through which she promotes English-language education for children and young people living in vulnerable and underprivileged communities.
“My Beauty With a Purpose is to take English programme to educate our communities because I believe when they know this language, the opportunities they will get and doors that will open onto their lives are huge,” she said.
Her response underscored her belief that language education can help young people overcome socio-economic barriers while connecting them to international opportunities, education and employment.
Mola also sought to redefine the traditional understanding of beauty, stressing that a woman’s influence should extend beyond physical appearance.
“As a woman I want to bring to the table a woman who knows that physical beauty is not all that. That her purpose is bigger than herself,” she said, explaining that, as a teacher, she wanted children to understand that life was about “purpose and serving.”
Away from her community initiative, Mola works as a cultural correspondent for Univision New York and serves as a Goya Gives Ambassador, roles that have strengthened her communication and advocacy work.
Following her victory, Mola said one of her immediate plans was to return to the Dominican Republic and share the crown with the students involved in her programme. She had promised them before leaving for the international competition that, should she win, she would bring the experience back home and celebrate with them.
The 75th anniversary edition also offered other contestants an opportunity to place social causes on the international stage.
Uganda’s representative, Trivia Elle Muhoza, used her Miss World journey to advocate against gender-based violence, promote human rights, protect minority groups, build resilience and support vulnerable communities.
Muhoza encouraged women to acquire skills, earn their own money and become financially independent, arguing that economic empowerment can reduce vulnerability and dependence.
She also communicated her message through fashion at the Vietnam Beauty Fashion Fest, appearing in “The Layers of Life,” a gown designed by Keesha Abdallah and inspired by the seven anatomical layers involved in a Caesarean section, celebrating motherhood and childbirth.
As Mola takes over the crown, outgoing queen Suchata Chuangsri congratulated the contestants and reflected on the responsibility attached to the Miss World legacy.
“I am grateful for this opportunity and for the next Miss World. We will always be by your side as a family,” Suchata said.
The spotlight will now shift to Africa, with Tanzania set to host the Miss World Festival in 2027, extending the pageant’s global celebration into its next chapter.
