Miss Universe Australia winner Priya Serrao on why she almost never entered the pageant
Reigning Miss Universe Australia Priya Serrao uses her platform to campaign for women’s rights around the globe and spread messages of cultural diversity — but the opportunity almost never happened. Here’s why.
Lifestyle
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As she prepares to hand over her Miss Universe Australia crown later than expected due to COVID-19, Priya Serrao is proud of her legacy.
She entered the competition on a whim having never even strutted a catwalk before.
There was an opportunity to create a strong platform and use it for good, and for the past 15
months she has duly left her mark on social issues and matters close to her heart.
Serrao, who was born in India and moved to Australia aged 11, has variously drawn attention
to racism, inequality, gender diversity and political issues.
“I’ve always been quite vocal about inclusion issues right from the very start since I won the title,’’ Serrao, 28, says.
“I’ve always spoken about racial inequality in general but also gender inequality, it’s always been something I’ve been passionate about. Ever since I was probably in school it’s been something I’ve grown up with, particularly from my experience of coming to Australia as a
migrant. Since Black Lives Matter has happened there’s been a lot more discussion in Australia about what’s happening and a lot more conversations and everyone is talking about
it.”
Serrao is a qualified lawyer with a politics degree who works for the Victorian government in trade policy. She laments that there hasn’t been enough tangible change.
“For example, we had the Black Lives Matter movement but the rate of Aboriginal deaths in
custody is still the same,’’ she says.
“More people have died since the protest. Recently there was a campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 and that was specifically because Aboriginal young people, First Nations young people, are more likely to be in prison cells at a higher rate.
“Apparently about 65 per cent of young children in prisons are First Nations young children.
And that has been pushed back next year and that hasn’t been dealt with right now, which has been really disappointing.”
Another issue that Serrao is vocal about is representation. She doesn’t see people like her in
parliament or in positions of power and governance.
“Black and indigenous and people of colour in media representation is so low given we make up 32 per cent of people living in Australia right now,’’ Serrao says.
“Either we’re born overseas or have one parent who was born overseas. When you look at TV or business or the leadership in politics, you can’t see that.
“Our country’s most powerful people, making the most important decisions that are affecting
my life, our lives, are still very male, very white and very middle aged.
“Often these ministers are surrounded by other advisers. I work in government and I can see
how this stuff works from the inside. They are surrounded by people like them, who look like
them, who think like them and who have experiences like them. It’s natural to have people around you who support you and you’re comfortable with these people. That’s your natural inclination.
“All I have always really wanted and all I am really asking for is I just want people in these leadership positions, whether it’s in politics or in media or in business or whatever, to look like the general Australian population. And you wouldn’t think it’s such a hard thing to do. It’s not.”
Serrao isn’t interested in running for politics, but she wants to vote for someone like her. She feels it’s her duty to speak up.
“I can’t expect someone in Canberra, a white middle-aged man, to represent my interests and really understand where I’m coming from,’’ she says.
“The best person to do that would be someone who has my experience, who is a woman of
colour and who understands what it’s like living in this world being someone like me.
“If I had a chance to vote for someone who was a person of colour I would do that.
“In terms of what I’m doing right now the best feeling is when I can write something or speak on something I feel resonates with someone else or connects to someone else.
“It would be so good if we see something tangible come out of it. I feel like it’s my
responsibility because when I was younger I didn’t have anyone like this.
“Even if there were people of colour in the media, they didn’t really speak about it because they don’t want to be controversial or ostracised for saying things that are hard to deal with. So for me I just want to be the kind of person I wanted to see in media when I was young.
“That’s what I want to do. When I post or comment about this or my insecurities, I often get DMs (direct messages on social media) from girls (saying) I’m so glad you’ve brought that up. That’s the best feeling for me, I’m glad I’ve been able to talk about something that makes you feel more comfortable and makes you realise that you’re not abnormal.”
Serrao was born in Hyderabad, India, and also has roots in Mangalore.
She still lives at home with her family, parents William and Sheila, and sister Nikhita, a 24 year-old pharmacist, in Heidelberg where they settled upon arrival to Melbourne from Oman
and the UAE. She went to school at Mac Robertson Girls’ High School and says the family are obsessed with MasterChef. Her father has always been fond of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan.
“We used to live in Dubai and my dad won a radio competition to go and meet him,’’ Serrao says.
“And I got to meet him when he came to Melbourne. He was this tiny little person and my dad lost his mind. It was pretty crazy 20 years later. I still sometimes can’t believe I am getting the opportunities I did. Who would have thought.”
Serrao was also appointed to an ambassador role at the Formula One Grand Prix in March. She already broke through as the first Indian Australian to win the Miss Universe Australia title, and for her it was a major opportunity as the face of a global event.
The event was cut short due to the onset of COVID-19, but the glamour and trackside thrill was also different to her day job in Spring Street.
“I’m still working full time in policy and taking each day as it comes,’’ she says.
“My role specifically is about international trade policy, which has also been very different. “International trade has become very difficult. It’s very hard to get freight across borders so the cost of freight has gone through the roof.
“Supply chains have had huge disruptions, particularly with what’s happening in China.
“It’s been a really interesting time to be where I am at the moment. It’s incredibly challenging as well. Everyone has had to rethink everything completely.
“People are going online now and everyone is going into e-commerce and there’s this huge need for people to have internet access and lots of different changes and we’re remodelling
our offering as well. How can we best support them? Where do we want the money to go? How can we provide the best programs, the best skills to help these businesses?
“It’s a really interesting time actually at work.”
Another issue Serrao has been vocal about is racist abuse being directed at unsuspecting individuals by trolls seeking to blame anyone of Asian descent for the coronavirus crisis.
Serrao experienced racism as a teenager growing up in Victoria and felt she could not remain silent as people were abused, particularly online.
“There are no circumstances where racism will ever be OK,’’ she said.
“We are in a scary situation, which is making us feel anxious, insecure and helpless because we can’t predict what is going to happen next week let alone next month, but racism is not OK.
“I know what it feels like to be scared to walk out the door in case you are targeted simply because you look a certain way.”
As a career woman and a Chadwick model, Serrao is continuing to break down stereotypes.
She had done social work with United Nations in East Timor and entered Miss Universe Australia “because the titleholder has an opportunity to advocate on issues to a large, global audience”.
The previous winner, Francesca Hung, had urged women to give the pageant a try.
She didn’t even invite her family to the event at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins because she didn’t think she’d win.
Sophia Barbagallo, creative director of Miss Universe Australia, says Serrao is a genuine role model.
“Priya has been an amazing ambassador for Miss Universe Australia,’’ Barbagallo says.
“What a year she’s had as the titleholder, all while being hands on advising the Victorian premier during these unprecedented times. An incredible woman in her own right.
“Priya has been an inspiration for so many of our MUA participants.”
While she has a voice and a platform, Serrao will still remain committed to causes — they just won’t involve runways, frocks, crowns or twirls.
“I think no more pageants for me,’’ she says. “The last year has been an incredible experience and I’m so grateful for it and have learned so much.
“I’m a completely different person to what I was. It was a split second decision to enter and it changed my life.”
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