Meghan tells young women to 'drown out the noise' of 'negative voices' in speech at Girl Up Leadership Summit
The duchess said "those voices can appear to be outsized, and can appear to be painfully loud" - but she added it is "just noise".
Tuesday 14 July 2020 22:37, UK
The Duchess of Sussex has talked about the need to "drown out the noise" of negative voices and speak out "even when it makes others feel uneasy", in her most high-profile speech since stepping away from royal life.
In a pre-recorded video, Meghan delivered a keynote speech at the Girl Up 2020 Leadership Summit, as part of a session called "The Time Is Now".
In her message aimed at the audience of young women, she said: "There will always be negative voices and sometimes those voices can appear to be outsized, and sometimes they can appear to be painfully loud.
"You can and will use your own voices to drown out the noise. Because that's what it is - just noise.
"But your voices are those of truth. And hope. And your voices can and should be much louder."
Praising the young activists for the work they're already doing to raise awareness of racial justice, climate change, mental health, civic engagement and public service, she added "believing in true equality is not enough - it's going to take more than belief, we have to work for it every day; even when it's hard and even when it makes others feel uneasy.
"We have to speak up for ourselves and we have to speak out for others who struggle to be heard."
Girl Up was founded by the UN Foundation in 2010 to help support UN agencies that focus on adolescent girls.
The 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit is its biggest yet, with nearly 40,000 attendees, aged 13-22, across 172 countries.
Due to COVID-19, the summit is being held entirely online. Other high-profile speakers involved include Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton.
In January, Harry and Meghan announced their plans to step away from royal life and become financially independent.
As the couple have set up their new life in America with their son Archie, Meghan's court case against the Mail on Sunday and the Sussexes' dislike of the British tabloid press has continued to make headlines.
While Meghan's video message was aimed at encouraging young women to take a stand and speak up, she also appeared to subtly allude to some of her own struggles at being heard and understood.
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She said: "Look, sometimes it's not obvious what to do. Often, it's fear that paralyses us and stops us from being brave and being bold. But don't underestimate that you have some of the answers.
"Don't underestimate your ability to push through the fear. You have, rooted in your convictions, the ability to craft a world that you know is just and kind.
"Your gut will tell you what's right and what's wrong; what's fair and unfair. The hardest part - and it was the hardest part for me - is to chase your convictions with action."
As a working member of the Royal Family, there are inevitably constraints in what she could say.
In this message, she appeared to gently nudge international leaders and policy makers to listen more to young people.
She said to the largely teenage online audience: "I want to share something with you. It's that those in the halls and corridors and places of power - from lawmakers and world leaders to executives - all of those people, they depend on you more than you will ever depend on them. And here's the thing: They know this."
Before she married Harry, issues around gender equity, civic engagement, youth empowerment, and promoting a digital community that's healthy and safe were key areas of Meghan's philanthropic work.
Her recent video messages during lockdown have shown how they continue to be the cornerstones of her non-royal working life.