After capturing the coveted crown at the 70th Miss Universe competition in December 2021 at Eilat, Israel, India’s Harnaaz Sandhu has brought back glory to her country after owning the title again in 20 long years. Having left an important footprint on India’s pageantry history for being the third Indian Miss U titleholder after Sushmita Sen (1994) and Lara Dutta (2000), Harnaaz has become an instant world icon.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miss Universe (@missuniverse)

Originally a Chandigarh-based model with an impressive educational portfolio, Harnaaz is truly one of the beauty-and-brains kind. Prior to her reign as Miss Universe, she was also able to compete in other Indian-based beauty contests such as Miss Chandigarh, Miss Max Emerging Star India, Femina Miss India, Miss Diva. Born to her realtor father Pritam Singh Sandhu and gynecologist mother Ravinder Kaur Sandhu, Harnaaz Sandhu has become the pride of her clan.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Miss Universe (@missuniverse)

Her recent win has been celebrated from all quarters of the globe, revolutionizing the idea of how beauty should be defined. An enduring advocate of many causes such as menstrual hygiene and equity, Harnaaz has remained an active stalwart of women’s well-being. In fact, she has partnered with 11 non-profit organizations worldwide to extend her support and voice to those that necessitate it.

Drawing inspiration from her mother, who happens to be a gynecologist, the beauty queen seeks to empower women and the youth to speak up for themselves and the suppressed, seek access to affordable, accessible, and safe menstrual products, and promote gender equity and social justice across all available platforms. In fact, in April of this year, Harnaaz visited the Philippine archipelago and delivered a speech tackling menstrual equity.

On this advocacy, she tells Metro.Style as she graces its digital cover: “I think why it’s not common is because most of us don’t think it’s important to talk about it. I know how close it is for every woman out there. Especially my mom being a gynecologist, she made me realize the importance of spreading the word on menstrual health and menstrual equity. And that’s what ignited the fire in me, and I want to make sure that this reaches every woman and we’re still going through the lack of access, a lack of knowledge, and to educate them and support each other.”

For a recap of Harnaaz Sandhu’s monumental win and some of her Miss Universe 2021 highlights, swipe through the gallery below:

Her winning gown - The plunging silver gown that Harnaaz Sandhu wore on the Grand Coronation Night was an attention-grabbing ensemble for sure. Created by Indian fashion designer Saisha Shinde, the masterpiece topped off the Indian winner's natural beauty.@benjaminaskinas via @harnaazsandhu_03

Preliminary Swimsuit - Harnaaz Sandhu was teeming with confidence as she slayed in a one-piece swimsuit in the preliminary rounds.@harnaazsandhu_03

Evening Gown - Shining, shimmering, and splendid are the exact words to encompass Harnaaz as she donned her evening ensemble with her best foot forward.@harnaazsandhu_03

National Costume - Harnaaz' national costume was an absolute showstopper and stole the crowd's hearts as the Miss Universe 2021 titleholder sashayed onstage with a pink umbrella.@harnaazsandhu_03

Coronation - As Miss Universe 2020 Andrea Meza of Mexico bequeathed the gold-and-diamonds-encrusted crown to the new titleholder, a chorus cheers and collective applauses from the audience made Harnaaz' crowning moment even more memorable.@harnaazsandhu_03

Lead photos courtesy of @benjaminaskinas via @harnaazsandhu_03