Meghan Markle: There is no better time to shine light on women
The actress jokes the couple can multitask after Prince Harry can be heard quietly mentioning their wedding at a charity event.
Wednesday 28 February 2018 13:22, UK
Meghan Markle has hinted she will be an advocate for women and young girls in the UK as she and Prince Harry decide what charitable interests they will focus on as a married couple.
The actress joined her fiance and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on stage at an event in central London as the young Royals set out their charitable visions for the future.
She said: "I think right now in the climate we are seeing so many campaigns, I mean Me Too and Time's Up, there is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and people really helping to support them - men included in that.
"It makes such a tremendous difference. I guess we wait a couple of months and we can hit the ground running."
Prince Harry could be heard quietly mentioning their wedding, which prompted laughs from the audience and Ms Markle to joke: "We can multitask."
The Suits star, who is also known for her commitment to championing women's rights, would not specify what projects were in the pipeline.
But she asserted: "For me it is very important to want to hit the ground running even if you are doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I have focused my energy on thus far - meeting with the right people and the right organisations... learning as much as I can so that I can maximise the opportunity we have here to really make an impact."
She has worked with NGOs such as World Vision in Rwanda, as well as several grassroots organisations.
Ms Markle has been named as the fourth patron of The Royal Foundation - launched by the two princes in 2011 - and will officially join William, Kate and Harry as the latest figurehead of the organisation when she marries into the Royal Family on 19 May.
She highlighted the foundation's Heads Together campaign, working to dispel the stigma surrounding mental health, as a success.
"What I noticed...from a global perspective was the power of convening all of these smaller organisations who have the same issue but need that extra push and support - under this umbrella," she said.
"I have been fortunate enough to meet with some incredible women and organisations in the UK...so this reach I think can have some really nice legs to it.
"I am very excited to work on initiatives similarly and have that global impact."
She added: "You'll often hear people say 'well you are helping women find their voices' - and I fundamentally disagree with that because women don't need to find a voice, they have a voice.
"They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen.
The Duke of Cambridge said the work of the foundation explored "big issues close to our hearts", adding it was the young Royals' job to "seek to engage in public life in a way which was updated and relevant for our generation."
He said the projects - such as the Invictus Games and Cyberbullying Taskforce - have all aimed to "change mindsets and make a real lasting difference".
The Duchess told of how parenthood had influenced her charity work, and vice versa.
"You can't help but reflect on then your own life," she said.
"It has definitely had an impact on how I mother, how we work as a family and how we hope to bring up our children."