At a time when the nation was being incarcerated for violating women’s rights, a 20-year-old from Haryana emerged as a symbol of hope. India was languishing at 108 in the Global Gender Gap index, behind neighbours Bangladesh and China, mainly due to less participation of women in the economy. That’s when Manushi Chhillar was crowned Miss World 2017, becoming the face of India, as a successful, independent young woman, on a global platform. Ever since, Manushi has shown on more than one occasion that she’s more than just a pretty face.
Whether speaking about her work towards creating awareness about menstrual hygiene or jokes about her surname to her Bollywood ambitions — Manushi sounds like a seasoned veteran, with an incredible sense of clarity and panache. The medico-turned-model sets the record straight when it comes to beauty pageants, and says there’s a lot of misconception about pageants. “People associate pageants with glamour, where there are celebrities walking on the ramp wearing beautiful gowns, heels and make-up — but that’s just one aspect,” she says, during her visit to Hyderabad on the sidelines of the first edition of the Miss World ‘Feminine Hygiene Awareness’ global tour.
