Megan Markle wants women to know their worth. After attending a wedding in Jamaica with her boyfriend Prince Harry, the Suits star took to social media on International Women’s Day to share an inspiring message, along with a screenshot of author Nayyirah Waheed’s “Emotional Nutrition” poem.
“I will tell you, my daughter of your worth not your beauty every day. (you beauty is a given. every being is born beautiful). knowing your worth can save your life. raising you on beauty alone you will be starved. you will be raw. you will be weak. an easy stomach. always in need of someone telling you how beautiful you are,” the poem read. Alongside the message, Meghan wrote, “To always knowing your worth #IWD.”
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The actress is an advocate for women’s rights. Back in January, Meghan traveled to Delhi and Mumbai with World Vision to meet women affected by the stigma surrounding menstruation and to learn how it hinders education for girls. The 35-year-old humanitarian recalled her emotional trip abroad in a piece for Time Magazine, which was posted on International Women’s Day, March 8.
Meghan visited India earlier this year Photo: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Meghan began the piece writing, “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.”
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“Beyond India, in communities all over the globe, young girls’ potential is being squandered because we are too shy to talk about the most natural thing in the world. To that I say: we need to push the conversation, mobilize policy making surrounding menstrual health initiatives, support organizations who foster girls’ education from the ground up, and within our own homes, we need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation,” the Prince’s girlfriend added, “Wasted opportunity is unacceptable with stakes this high. To break the cycle of poverty, and to achieve economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, young women need access to education. When we empower girls hungry for education, we cultivate women who are emboldened to effect change within their communities and globally. If that is our dream for them, then the promise of it must begin with us. Period.”