Meghan Markle has given a keynote speech at this year’s virtual Girl Up Leadership Summit, which is part of 2020’s “The Time Is Now” Women in Leadership Plenary – and like many other times the former royal has addressed young leaders, her words were powerful.
Appearing via video, the Duchess of Sussex urged the young women watching to “chase convictions with action.”
“I want to share something with you,” she said. “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.”
Markle continued, “They know that all of you, at a younger age than any modern comparison, are setting the tone for an equitable humanity. Not figuratively, literally. This is a humanity that desperately needs you. To push it – to push us – forcefully in a more inclusive, more just, and more empathetic direction. To not only frame the debate, but be in charge of the debate – on racial justice, gender, climate change, mental health and well-being, on civic engagement, on public service, on so much more. That’s the work you’re already out there doing.”
“I know you have already done so much and made so many people’s lives better. The moment we are living through right now asks all of us to do more. It’s a moment where your voices, and your action, have never been more urgently needed.”
Watch the speech below: