The Duchess of Sussex had some inspiring words for women everywhere.
Meghan Markle is using her prominence to encourage women everywhere to head to the polls!
On Sunday, she and her husband Prince Harry arrived in New Zealand to great fanfare. That’s where she took the podium at the Government House to honor the 125 anniversary of women’s suffrage in the country, as well as the importance of women casting their votes.
“The achievements of the women of New Zealand who campaigned for their right to vote, and were the first in the world to achieve it, are universally admired,” she stated. “Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents. The basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future and that of your community. The involvement and voice that allows you to be a part of the very world you are a part of.”
“The basic and fundamental human right of all people - including members of society who have been marginalized whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation - to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community,” she continued. “So bravo New Zealand for championing this right 125 years ago - for the women who well deserve to have an active voice and acknowledged vote, and for all of the people that this effort has paved the way for globally.”
She ended her speech with a moving quote by New Zealand suffragette Kate Sheppard: “All that separates, whether race, class, creed, or sex, is inhuman, and must be overcome.”
Prior to delivering her address, the 37-year-old Duchess of Sussex and her husband greeted the throngs of locals who had gathered in Wellington to free them. Among them was a teenage girl crying her eyes out.
The pregnant duchess took the time to meet her, speak with her and hold her hands.
New Zealand is the last leg of the royal tour; they’ll soon be returning to the U.K.
Get more news on the royals in the clip below.
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