A 91原创 woman has been crowned Miss Fraser Valley World 2017.

Philipa Shauna Dutt, 25, says she was 鈥渋ncredibly nervous鈥� to participate in the pageant 鈥� the very first she had ever entered 鈥� as she was unsure what the lifestyle would entail.

She was pleased to discover many friendly women with inspiring stories to share, along with a host of volunteering opportunities in her community, including at the 91原创 Walk and Canadian Festival of Chili and BBQ.

With her title, Dutt has been chosen as a finalist to represent B.C. at the national Miss World Canada 2017 competition in Toronto on July 22. The winner of that competition will compete in the Miss World 2017 competition in China at the end of the year.

Dutt says the pageant has given her a platform to share one of her passions 鈥� promoting women empowerment.

鈥淚 aim to help women recognize their worth and build confidence so when society tries to bring them down, they rise up and speak up for themselves,鈥� she wrote to the Times.

鈥淚 have lived in Pakistan and Canada and seen the way women are treated in both countries and I believe that women all over the world need to be empowered and encouraged.

鈥淚 was once a woman who was in need of empowerment and encouragement and I am blessed to have had the inspiring women in my life to help me be who I am today. I would like to be that inspiration for many other women. I believe that if a woman knows her worth, has confidence, and believes in herself, she can conquer the world.鈥�

For more on Dutt, visit her blog .