Meghan Markle's Video About Female Advocacy At 11 Years Old Resurfaces [WATCH]
Meghan Markle started her advocacy for women when she was 11 years old.
In 2015, the "Suits" actress shared how she fought for gender equality when she was young. A clip of her recalling about the incident has been shared on Facebook. "When I was just 11 years old. I unknowingly and somehow accidentally became a female advocate," Prince Harry's fiancée said.
Over 20 years ago, Markle was watching TV in school when a liquid dishwasher commercial caught her attention. The ad had a tagline that read "women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans." Two boys from the class agreed that women belong in the kitchen which "shocked" and made her "angry."
Markle felt that it was not right and that something had to be done. So when she came home she told her dad, Thomas Markle, about the incident, who encouraged her to write a letter.
So, 11-year-old Markle wrote a letter to the then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, her news source Linda Ellerbee, powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred and to the soap manufacturer. After a few weeks, she received encouragement from Clinton, Ellerbee and Allred.
Ellerbee also invited Markle on TV to speak about her activism. In a video from "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee" in 1993, one can find a young Markle discussing her perspective about the commercials involving women. The host was very impressed with the actress.
"It was absolutely clear that this young woman was strong in her beliefs," Ellerbee said about Markle. "It didn't matter that she was 11 years-old. She believed in women, she believed in her own power, and she wasn't afraid to reach out and say 'I want my power, I want my rights."
After a month the manufacturer responded to Markle. "Procter & Gamble changed the commercial for their Ivory clear dishwashing liquid," the royal bride-to-be said in her 2015 speech. "They changed it from: 'Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans' to 'People all over America...'"
Following the incident, Markle has been an advocate for women and gender equality. In 2014, Markle spoke about her character in "Suits" being overly sexualized. She noticed that the script seemed to begin with Rachel (Markle) wearing a towel, so she said "No" and talked with the creator.
"Look, as an auditioning actress years ago, you're so hungry for work, of course, you're willing to do things like that," Markle said (via Entertainment Tonight). "So I think a lot of these women who are in the music videos, that's still exciting for them. What we need to shift in their minds is that they have higher value than that and they don't need to be doing that."
What can you say about Markle's effort in promoting feminism and gender equality? Drop a comment below.
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