Demi-Leigh Nel-Peters from South Africa, has won the coveted title of Miss Universe 2017 on 26 November, 2017.
This is the 66th edition of the world-renown beauty pageant, where India was represented by Miss Diva Shraddha Shashidhar, who didn't make it to the list of top 15 finalists.
Nel-Peters, a 22-year-old business management graduate, beat out 91 other candidates during the finals held in Las Vegas. South Africa last won Miss Universe in 1978.
Outgoing Miss Universe Iris Mittenaere crowned Nel-Peters with the $250,000 pearl-encrusted Mikimoto crown.
Nel-Peters helps train women in her country in self-defense, inspired by that one time when she was held at gunpoint and robbed after winning her title as Miss South Africa.
In one of the final questions during the pageant, she also advocated for closing the gender pay gap when asked about the biggest problem women today face in the workplace.
Read Also : Full List of Miss Universe Winners (1952-2017)
"In some places, women get paid 75 percent of what men earn for doing the same job and working the same hours and I do not believe that that is right," she said.
यह भी जानें : अब तक की मिस यूनिवर्स विजेता सूची (1952-2017)
Colombia's Laura Gonzalez, an aspiring actress, placed first runner-up, and Jamaica's Davina Bennett, a model with a marketing college degree, was second runner-up.
The Philippines' Rachel Peters finished in the Top 10.
