Suman Rao, the stunning 21-year-old Indian model who has recently won the title of Miss World Asia 2019 in the Miss World beauty pageant this year, says that she started speaking up for gender equality after she learned to stand up for herself.

Suman, who had won the title of Miss India 2019, was born in the Aaidana village near Udaipur, and her family shifted to Mumbai soon after her birth. Her Project Pragati trains village women to make handlooms, decorative handicrafts, accessories, and jewelry.