In a rather historical moment, Miss Nepal Jane Dipika Garrett has become the first-ever plus-sized model in Miss Universe. The pageant has now become more inclusive and this year, it opened doors to two transgender women, two mothers and one plus-sized model.
Sharing her photo from the day, Jane, who is an advocate of body positivity, wrote, "Top 20 baby! I’m grateful to all my fans and people who supported me. I gave my best and that’s what matters! I’m so proud to be representing real-size beauty around the world and breaking the stereotypes of beauty pageants. So proud of the new Miss Universe and will forever cherish this season of my life that was life-changing!"
While her inclusion in the beauty pageant has caused some controversy, most sections on social media agree that such representation matters and can go a long way in the acceptance of all body types.
22-year-old Jane, who made it to the top 20, walked the ramp during the preliminaries on November 15 dressed in a stunning monokini and her sheer confidence is being applauded by social media users. The title, however, was bagged by Miss Nicaragua Sheynnis Palacios with Miss Thailand as the first runner-up and Miss Australia as the second runner-up.
Other Jane, Miss Portugal Marina Machete and Miss Netherlands Rikkie Kolle created history by becoming the first trans women to compete in Miss Universe. Additionally, Pakistan also had a Miss Universe competitor for the first time ever.