Born in 1981 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Markle began a relationship with Prince Harry in the summer of 2016. In November 2017 the pair announced their engagement, and received positive feedback from the public.
Prior to her marriage in 2018, Markle became an ambassador for World Vision Canada and travelled to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign in 2016.
In 2017 Markle took a humanitarian trip to India that inspired the Time Magazine article she wrote. While in India, Meghan learned about the stigmatization and impact women and girls face surrounding their menstrual cycles. According to her article in Time Magazine, “One hundred and thirteen million adolescent girls between the ages of 12-14 in India alone are at risk of dropping out of school because of the stigma surrounding menstrual health.”
The stigma surrounding menstrual health in developing countries continues the cycle of poverty and increases the risk that young girls will be subjected to violence, domestic abuse, and marriage at increasingly young ages.
When females and males alike are educated about the female reproductive system, and taught that the menstrual cycle is not taboo, big changes happen. When the world is educated that menstruation is a normal part of living and menstruating individuals are given proper products to care for their hygiene during their cycle, they are given the opportunity to lift their entire communities out of poverty and can change the path of economic growth in their communities and countries.
According to the World Bank, 500 million menstruating individuals go without proper facilities for menstrual hygiene management (MHM), something Markle and First lady Michelle Obama both touched on in the Time Magazine article.
In addition to Markle’s advocacy toward to MHM, she is also a vocal feminist and aspires to use her public role as a platform to support and uplift women’s voices and rights and is an advocate for social justice. In 2020 Markle stood up for the Black Lives Matter movement and continues to be a voice of support for the BIPOC community, sharing her own story of how racism and microaggressions drove a wedge between herself and The Royal Family.
Meghan Markle continues to be a voice for change, a vibrant supporter of women’s rights, and always strives to lift people up no matter what position they are in.
This month is Women’s History Month and here at The In Trive we wanted to take a moment to commemorate some amazing women who are doing extordinary things! Our in-house contributor Kelsey Erynn helps us highlight these special women along with sharing some lessons that we all can learn from them. Check it out and enjoy! xoxo – CP
