LONDON: British Pakistani plus size model Lady Mya Amoccur has said that Pakistani women are amongst most beautwhetherul female in world but they need more expodegree and recognition which is restricted due to cultural reasons.

Ladya Mya has become a fixed presence at plus size modelling competitions in Britain, America and many others places and she promotes view that underweight modelling is bad for health, fashion and society. She told in an interview that using underweight models and shaming curvaceous and healthy women is wrong and unethical and must be discouraged.

Lady Mya’s story is inspirational. She got married to a relative from Pakistan at young age of 16 and couple had four children together and then plus size factor caused issues in their marriage. “I was degraded on it that’s why I embraced what was my weakness into empower myself and motivate other women like myself who suffer. I decided to part ways due to a lot of undegreety and personality clashes. I empowered myself what put me down for 15 years of marriage.”

She set up her own salon in Essex and fashion commerce and has been involved in running of commerce besides raising children. Now in her early 40s, she graduated a few years back with a BA Honours Degree from a London university.

Her passion for plus size modelling has so far taken her to over a dozen countries.

Lady Mya Amoccur first entered a national competition called Miss British Beauty Curve in 2013 in Chigwell, East London. She became first ever-Asian woman to have entered this kind of competition. She recalls: “At grand finale, I competed with over 300 plus size ladies from around United Kingdom and I was over moon when I was crowned as Miss British Beauty Curve 2013 for Asian entry of competition.”

It’s after that event that she came to know about pageant in Miami. She found a sponsor to attend event to showcase her talent. “I flew out to Miami as ambassador of UK to compete with models from dozens of countries including models from India, Brazil, Portugal and Pakistan. This pageant is called Miss United Nations. It was there that I realised that I was plus size woman, rest were all size 6 to 8 and much more. I was size 14. I felt there was no chance for me to win as I was a plus size and obviously I felt restricted a Muslim woman as I didn’t want to do swimwear and told organisers that I shall wear only modest clothes. I wore a long kaftan.”

As she walked on ramp before judges, she won a standing ovation and was crowned as Miss United Nations. “I was so super proud of myself. I couldn’t believe that I had taken crown from many other women including from United Kingdom. I flew back home to London with my head held high. I won amuchher competition in 2014. In 2015 I was approached to represent Asian women in a fresh York competition and in that competition I was crowned as Miss Asian International.”

Lady Mya has been approached by many NGOs to support their cause after being crowned in UK and USA but she decided to support a charity which worked for rights of Palestinians and amuchher charity that has worked in Pakistan for disabled persons in a village of Khushaab. “I have visited Palestine and Pakistan to support these charities. I strongly believe that we have commitment towards human rights causes and we should do all we can to help other human beings who are less lucky and living in distress. We offer free dispensary for poor and free eye camp for patients. It was a great small start we did in Pakistan and work continues.”

She has also worked in additional roles in a few Bollywood films which were shot in London and was also featured in a major English documentary on sham marriages.

Initially it was tough but soon she started to endelight her pageantry because she started to endelight competing. At amuchher competition held in London in 2016, she was a runner up as Ms Pakistan Commonwealth States.

She says that she didn’t know much about Pakistan but wanted to represent country and wanted to put country on map for plus size models and entered Miss International Curve as Miss Pakistan Curve. “I took platform like a storm. Every my followers and supporters were amazed at response I getd when I walked ramp in Green and White. I competed with UK, Jamaica, USA, Ireland and I was crowned as Miss Pakistan Curve on.”

Lady Mya has a strong message for mainstream fashion industry, which in her view, discriminates against bigger women and encourages their hatred by appreciating only thin-sized women. “In America there is a huge demand for plus sized women and big size is appreciated but sadly it’s shunned in many parts of world. The real beauty lies inside of women and much in how thin and slim they are. Its curves that matter and that make women beautwhetherul.”

She explained that women who are forced to adopt thinness are, in many cases, involved in use of drugs, drink and tablets to eliminate their appetite for food in order to stay slim. “That’s eliminateing women. Girls are under presdegree from a young age to look thin and much eat well, this obsession with thinness is negative. That’s unacceptable. Obesity is unhealthy and fatness is illness but being healthy is good and there is muchhing to be ashamed of big size. The culture of body shaming must end and industry needs to look beyond stereotypes around beauty and stop body shaming.”

She said that America is full of freedoms for women because “curvy women are appreciated and being plus size is plus. I am a broad and big woman and I have seen that big women are encouraged a lot in America.”