“Pretty comes in all different shapes and sizes”

Being plus size is nothing new. However, a beauty pageant in India broke the mould by hosting their first beauty pageant for the more ‘voluptuous woman’.

With only a criteria of a 34-inch waist and age between 21 and 40 years, this was certainly a chance for Indian women to show off their curves at the Ms Plus Size North India 2017 competition.

With 40 finalists, Sukhminder Kaur from Leicester was proud to be the only UK applicant representing plus size women.

She reached the last 16, but took home the Ms Popularity prize voted for by her fellow contestants. Bishamber Das – Britain’s first Asian plus size model was among the judges.

Sukhminder Kaur said and she was proud to be the only UK applicant representing plus size women. “This is a great opportunity for Indian women to showcase their curves and shout out loud and proud that ‘yes, I am plus size’,” she said.

“The west is more excepting of plus size women.

“However, I am so proud to be part of a platform that is making it acceptable to be my size in my culture.

“It seems that society still demands that Indian women should be fair or thin and conform to a particular way of looking to be pretty.

“But thanks to Ms Plus Size North India 2017, this is the beginning of educating and making people understand that pretty comes in all different shapes and sizes.

“The best girl won, and I am so proud to be given the title of Ms Plus Size North India Top 16 Finalist as well as Ms Popularity.

“This was a wonderful experience and I met some magnificent people during my time in India.

“I would certainly encourage women to promote plus size in anyway possible to slam body-shamers.

“The more we encourage this, the more it will become acceptable worldwide.”

The winner was Vernika Jain, from Delhi.