London, 1970: Sally Alexander (Keira Knightley) is tired of being constantly disadvantaged for being a woman. For her, the annual "Miss World" competition in particular is symbolic of an archaic image of women. Together with the rebellious Jo Robinson (Jessie Buckley) she strives to make the public aware of the pervasive grievances in society. Meanwhile, the participants of the upcoming beauty pageant are arriving in London and are preparing for the TV event of the year - 100 million viewers worldwide are expected to watch the show hosted by popular comedian Bop Hope (Greg Kinnear). As the underdog Miss Grenada (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and her rivals practice posing in swimsuits, the Women's Liberation Movement led by Sally and Jo is forging a plan to finally shake up the world...