Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu joins Cheddar News' Baker Machado on a Walk and Talk to discuss what it was like winning the crown, her advocacy work for menstrual healthcare, and so much more.

The Walk and Talk: Miss Universe

well, the pageant industry has evolved a lot in recent years and this year's Miss Universe is using her platform to make a major impact when it comes to women's health. I recently caught up with Miss Universe herself around SAN due to find out all about her advocacy work in this space, what it's like to bring the crown back to India after 20 years and so much more. Here's a look at our walk and talk. So guys, this is amazing when you won Miss Universe, this is the first time in 20 years that the crown was finally brought back to India, what did that sort of mean to you, not just for your country, but for you, it's such a weird feeling because like I was 21 when I won the crown and after 21 years and you won the crown was just like such a beautiful feeling and I was so you know, if you repeat that video of me when steve announced the new Miss Universe is I was just crying because the last Miss Universe from India she won in 2000 and I was born in that year, isn't that crazy, it is really crazy to think about that. So if you re watch that moment, it just makes me feel so good. You know, sometimes you just go through a little down days or you kind of feel low and you watch that moment to sort of bring it back up again and you remind yourself that you did it when you have nothing, so don't give up now, you know, keep going forward, you have no no idea what's going to happen to you, you never actually ended up thinking that you will be here as Miss Universe, living in new york city right, that's crazy, it's such a good point, you know, we know the pageant industry is evolving and changing, how do you sort of feel like it is changing, is it in your mind, is it becoming more inclusive? There have been so many changes to generation and generation and it's very important to tell people beauty and all sizes, all shapes and all colors and when we actually watched with me we were like 90 countries competing with each other and each one of us had a different essence of our own country, our culture and background and we were there to share and empowered women around the world and tell them that we are beautiful and we are here to conquer dreams, so it is truly changing, you know, it's like I love the fact that I got the opportunity to share that moment with so many other incredible women and we shared that love, respect and gratitude and I think that's one of the biggest example of pageantry changing into inclusivity and love for all kinds of beauty. Now I know you have a lot of things that you're incredibly passionate about one of them is menstrual education and equity as well, Why was that such a passion project for you. Was there something that was sort of guiding you towards that area? Well I always like to answer this as it comes from my mom, she's being a gynecologist and my best friend, she truly taught me the importance of mental health and you know, women's health and reproductive health at the same time. So I was kind of little shy because you know, when I had my first period and when she was talking to me and I was very uncomfortable. But as I grew up, I realized how important it is to talk about that. But at the same time when I used to go out for the camps and everything with her, I was really shocked and surprised to see that women have to choose between food and feminine products. That's crazy, right? They have to alleged hide their pads from their own home. There's so many parts in the world, even in India where women have to like truly get out of their own home and stay somewhere else during those seven days, they think it's it's empty or it's a taboo. And uh it was really very dis it's just insane that nobody is talking about right. But I think now people are talking about that and for me this is the solution. The more we talk about it, the more people feel confident and and they stand for themselves and you know, they believe that this is wrong and this is right because the young girls who skip their seven days during menstruation, they skip their months and months and then never they never go to school ever and achieve their goals, but I was really happy because that was a dream for me, Miss Universe, for me was about talking about my platform and you know, being enough and powerful, like my mom has been and to break so many taboos with other incredible women and the organization itself. So we actually just announced this new collective with Global Citizen, The Global Mental. Um Yes. Um so this is a global Mental equity accelerator and then we also did this collision with Plan International, is there d be for good. Um Mr Badman A. K A. Natural. Um uh he's them and changing our world and machine was organizations, five of us together, we're working on this and we have also donated to pad machines um one in Delhi and one in Philippines. So I'm really like this is something which is really close to my heart, so I'm really happy when I look back and see that we have done so much progress and there's there's one of the things that we have in our mind that we have to reach around five million people within India by 2025 500 all around the world. So your time as Miss Universe is coming to a close, you know, there's a lot of girls, 85 contestants are gonna be vying for this. Have you sort of processed the last few months of being Miss Universe? Honestly, when they announced it, I was kind of of course happy for the girls who are participating, working so hard because I truly feel myself being in their shoes. I know how it feels exciting novas, but I'm kind of like, I think it's totally fine because it's like, you know, it makes you feel like family, you know, and then you have to go back and of course that's the next yes. And then you know, it's just like you have to take everything positively. It's another phase of my life and I'm preparing for it, the things that I've learned as being Miss Universe. I think it's something that has prepared me for the next three years of my life, I became more strong, more vocal, more me taking 1000 photos with the crowd just to make sure you know what I was thinking of that they should announce me again as always. I always think about the fact that I hope for the couple of more months that's left that I hope that I julie was dedicated towards the duties and responsibilities given to me as with my title Miss Universe and I did something that truly want to do and keep containing, you know, my advocacy, mental equity and at the same time come back as a Miss Universe because they say once Miss Universe is for everybody. Absolutely Hernandez, thank you so much for talking with us and that was my walk and talk with Miss Universe, Haran santo.