Duchess Meghan surprised royals fans when she sat down with feminist icon Gloria Steinem for a special conversation this week.
The two chatted in a gorgeous outdoor space – which many fans thought was the backyard of the new Santa Barbara home the Duchess of Sussex shares with Prince Harry and their son, Archie. Their conversation, exclusively through Makers Women, touched on the upcoming American election, the importance of voting and women's rights.
While chatting with the founder of 86-year-old Ms. magazine founder and activist, the two both pointed out that men have an important supporting role to play in women's rights. Touchingly, Meghan shared how Harry has been a great advocate in his own right and shared a bit about how she and her husband are raising Archie.
"As I've gotten older, I've been able to understand that it's not mutually exclusive to be a feminist and be feminine," Meghan said toward the end of their talk. "And to own that and harness your femininity and your identification as a woman in all of the different layers."
"Well, you can be a feminist and be masculine and a guy," Gloria responded.
"Like my husband!" Meghan said, beaming as she mentioned Harry. "I love that when he just came in he said, 'You know that I'm a feminist, too, right, Gloria?! It's really important to me that you know that."
Gloria called Harry's comments "wonderful." Meghan went on to say the example Harry sets as a feminist is important for Archie to see.
"I look at our son and what a beautiful example that he gets to grow up with a father who is so comfortable owning that as a part of his own self-identification," Meghan said. "That there's no shame in being someone who advocates for fundamental human rights for everyone, which of course includes women."
Harry beamed as he and Meghan introduced Archie to the world in May 2019. Photo: © Dominic Lipinski - WPA Pool/Getty Images
"And that he is also a nurturing father," Gloria added. "Because then your son will grow up knowing it's OK to be loving and nurturing."
Archie moved with his mom and dad into the Santa Barbara house last July. Since then, Meghan has taken part in several digital engagements and Zoom events.
Last week, she was part of an online celebration with the United State of Women and When We All Vote marking the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment. It prohibits the U.S. government from denying people the right to vote on the basis of their gender. In that event and her conversation with Gloria, Meghan pointed out that the 19th Amendment was the just the beginning of voting rights for women and that not all women received the vote with it.
"This week we are are recognizing the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which of course gave women the right to vote, but not all women," Meghan said during the event. "And specifically not women of colour.
"As we look at things today, though it has taken decades longer for women to get the right to vote, even today we are watching so many women in different communities who are marginalized. Struggling to see that right come to fruition. And that is simply not OK."
Meghan also appeared in Marie Claire US's issue highlighting 100 influential women earlier this month. In the issue, she shared why it is important for her to vote and encouraged Americans to do the same this November.
"I know what it's like to have a voice, and also what it's like to feel voiceless," she said in the piece. "I also know that so many men and women have put their lives on the line for us to be heard. And that opportunity, that fundamental right, is in our ability to exercise our right to vote and to make all of our voices heard."
