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Meghan Markle is continuing to fight for gender equality.
The Duchess of Sussex took to Instagram to share an important message on International Day of the Girl.
“Today is International #DayoftheGirl, a day observed globally and created by the United Nations to acknowledge the gender inequality that exists worldwide,” part of the royal’s post read. “Be it lack of access to education, stigma surrounding Menstrual Hygiene Management, forced child marriage, legal or medical inequality, or gender-based violence, there is a pressing need to support young women in their path to excellence. It is also a day to celebrate and encourage girls to know their value and to support them in taking action to grow into the women they wish to be.”
Meghan has championed gender equality for years. In fact, her work dates back long before her days as a royal. In her post, for instance, Meghan shared a video of a speech she gave to the United Nations back in 2015.
“It is said that girls with dreams become women with vision,” she said at the time.
She also shared a clip of an interview she gave at just 11 years old after she took a stand against the “sexist” language used in an Ivory dishwashing soap commercial and wrote a letter to Procter & Gamble calling for the spot to be changed, which it was.
“If you see something that you don’t like or are offended by on television or any other place, write letters and send them to the right people and you can really make a difference for not just yourself but for lots of other people,” a young Meghan said at the time.
Before her days as a duchess, Meghan also penned a powerful piece for Time about how the stigma around menstruation and the lack of proper sanitation hinder women’s pursuits of education. She also traveled to Delhi and Mumbai to meet with women who had experienced this firsthand.
Her work didn’t stop once she took on a royal role, either. For instance, she has spoken about the importance of gender equality in several speeches, including during her recent tour of Africa. She also proudly called herself a feminist in her royal bio.
“Every girl has potential. She has promise. She has the right to learn, the right to be heard, the right to play and to discover—the right to be exactly who she is,” she said in her recent video.
Today, she continues to empower and inspire women and girls around the world.
“So, to each one of you: Keep asking questions; keep pushing forward; keep shining brightly,” she said in the posted video. “Know your worth and know that we are behind you every step of the way.”
Watch the video to see her powerful message.