Meghan Markle: 11 times the former royal championed gender equality

Meghan Markle is now getting recognized far and wide as a strong feminist icon for her philanthropic work and her stance on women empowerment over the years.

The Duchess of Sussex especially after her exit from the royal family has been praised world-over for standing up for herself. However, this doesn’t come as the only instance where the former actor became an epitome of empowerment.

The former royal has championed gender equality since the age of 11 when she wrote to a soap manufacturer over a sexist advertisement.

Let’s take a look back at Meghan’s most powerful feminist quotes:

Menstruation and female education:

Meghan was quoted by Times in 2017 as saying: “Imagine a world where the female leaders we revere never achieved their full potential because they dropped out of school at the age of thirteen. In the western world this is challenging to fathom, but for millions of young women globally, this remains their harsh reality for a staggering reason.”

“From sub-Saharan Africa to India, Iran, and several other countries, the stigma surrounding menstruation and lack of access to proper sanitation directly inhibit young women from pursuing an education,” she added.

#MeToo and Time’s Up:

The Royal Foundation Forum in 2018 quoted the Duchess as saying: I hear a lot of people saying when speaking about girls’ empowerment, finding and knowing their worth, or women’s empowerment as well, you will often hear people say: "You’re helping women find their voices."”

“And I fundamentally disagree with that, because women don’t need to find the voice – they have a voice, they need to be empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen,” she continued.

“And I think right now in the climate that we’re seeing with so many campaigns, with #MeToo and Time’s Up, there is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them, men included in that,” she added.

Sexism in adverts:

At age 11, Meghan had been applauded for raising her voice against a cleaning advert. Back in 1993, Meghan told Nick News: “I don’t think it is right for kids to grow up thinking these things, that just mum does everything.”

Endorsing female voices:

Speaking at the UN Women Conference in 2015, Meghan had said: “Women make up more than half of the world’s population and potential, so it is neither just nor practical for their voices, for our voices, to go unheard at the highest levels of decision-making.”

“The way that we change that, in my opinion, is to mobilize girls and women to see their value as leaders, and to support them in these efforts,” she added.

Women’s suffrage:

Addressing the Government House in New Zealand in 2018, for the 125th anniversary of women getting the right to cast a vote, Meghan had said: “Women’s suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness.”

“Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote, but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community,” she added.

‘Dressing up’ as a feminist:

During an interview in 2016 at Create and Cultivate, Meghan had said: “You don’t have to play dress up to be a feminist. You are a feminist exactly the way you are.”

“You can be a woman who wants to look good and still stand up for the equality of women. There’s no uniform for feminism; you are a feminist exactly the way you are,” she added.

Valuing yourself:

In an interview with InStyle back in 2015, Meghan said: “I think the biggest part of being a girl boss in the office, at home, or anywhere you go is just knowing your value.”

Working for equality:

In 2015’s UN Women Conference, Meghan had said: “It is said that girls with dreams become women with vision. May we empower each other to carry out such vision – because it isn't enough to simply talk about equality.”

“One must believe it. And it isn't enough to simply believe in it. One must work at it. Let us work at it. Together. Starting now,” she added.

Being kind to yourself:

On taking care of one’s self, Meghan was quoted as saying: “Be kind to yourself. Truly, if we treated ourselves as well as we treated our best friends we would be a million miles ahead of the game.”

“There’s this great Georgia O’Keefe quote that resonates with me: “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain, and I am quite free."'

Shattering glass ceilings:

Meghan was quoted by Elle in 2016 as saying: “With fame comes opportunity, but it also includes responsibility – to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings. And, if I'm lucky enough, to inspire.”

Defining feminism:

In an interview with Larry King in 2016, Meghan had said: “No matter what you look like, you should be taken seriously. I think it’s really great to be able to be a feminist, and be feminine. To embrace both.”