Meghan Markle Delivers Powerful Speech for the 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit

Meghan Markle’s unscripted eight-minute message urges girls to keep pushing for equality and justice, even when it makes those in power uncomfortable.

Meghan Markle may be known as the Duchess of Sussex, but she’s also a dedicated activist, philanthropist, and moving public speaker. Her recent speech for the U.N. Foundation’s 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit highlighted her desire for positive, progressive change. 

Girl Up is an international organization for young women’s leadership, dedicated to “inspiring a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change.” This year’s summit was held remotely and featured world leaders like Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Claudia Chan, and many others. 

Markle’s virtual speech reached over 40,000 girls all around the world. Her message addressed many key topics, including the Black Lives Matter movement, gender inequality, and climate change. Markle explained that today’s generation has a unique perspective and digital skillset that makes them well-suited to combat inequality. She also pointed out that young women are already piloting social movements, from “organizing Black Lives Matter protests around the world” to “leading coalitions to end gun violence.”

Check out the speech in the post below:

Markle went on to encourage girls to own the conversation when status-quo decision-makers are reluctant to listen. She also urged her audience to build each other up and to speak with radical compassion, even when feeling angry about societal injustice.    

With a pandemic, a gathering movement for racial justice, and so many other issues culminating in 2020, Markle’s message is especially salient. To learn more about Girl Up or to donate, visit GirlUp.org.