Meghan Markle Has Been Standing Up For Women For Years

Meghan Markle may be Prince Harry’s wife, but that’s certainly not her only noteworthy role. The American actress has used her platform of fame for advocacy, spreading messages of global gender equality. The contributions she’s made over the years have been inspirational, to say the least.

From powerful speeches to humanitarian trips across the globe, here’s a look at every time she stood up for women in the past.

1. She was angered by inequality in 1995 at 11 years old

Markle may not have known it at first, but she became a women’s rights advocate at only 11 years old. During the 20th anniversary of the Beijing Women’s Conference celebration in March 2015, she delivered a speech in which she described the moment that angered her so much, that she decided to make a difference.

While attending school in Los Angeles in 1995, a dishwashing liquid commercial appeared on TV, which featured the tagline, “Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” Two boys in her class praised the commercial, remarking, “Yeah. That’s where women belong — in the kitchen.”

Markle remembered feeling “shocked and angry and also just feeling so hurt.” She continued, “It just wasn’t right, and something needed to be done.”