In her first public engagement in Johannesburg, the Duchess of Sussex sat down with staff and students to talk about gender equality and access to education.
In remarks that she later posted to her Instagram account, Meghan said, “Sometimes access to education can seem so big, you wonder where to even begin? So you begin with one student or one school, you simply begin. And that’s when we see change.”
Watch Meghan talk about women empowerment below.
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Video credit: Rumble
Continuing with a reference to a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote, she added: “Take the first step…you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
She also told the congregation of teachers and students: “When a woman is empowered it changes absolutely everything in the community.” She added that pushing for the right to education was “truly and deeply important and meaningful to me on a personal level,” describing it as “such a key element” for economic and personal growth.
“I went to university. It takes a village doesn’t it to sort of piece it together for people to be able to finance that; families chipping in, scholarships, financial aid. All those things that are the reason that I was able to attend university,” she added.
Students praised Meghan’s words and her visit to the university, calling them “inspiring.” The duchess revealed three new gender grants and four new Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth scholarships given by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). In January of this year, Meghan took over from the Queen as patron of the ACU, a position the monarch had previously held for 33 years.
Tumi Mampame, an MA student in the department of communication studies, said after the duchess had left, “The duchess kept speaking about just taking the necessary steps. Even if it’s one, even if it’s small, and no matter how big the goal seems to be.”
She continued: “I think I’m definitely going to remember that when it gets stressful and it gets tiring that just that very small step—from the township that I’m from, from the spaces that I’m in—is actually going to make a difference one day. That’s motivating and inspiring. I think I’m more motivated now more than ever to keep pushing my work and to take it as far as I possibly can.”
Margaret Macdonald, 33, from Canada, is studying at the University of Cape Town and was one of the recipients of the commonwealth scholarship from the ACU. She is currently conducting research about how small scale fisheries contribute to the western cape’s food security.
“The focus of the conversation was on gender and gender within secondary education,” she said. “Whether it be how university policies affect different genders or whether it be how students, how they feel within their environment if the environment was created more with a patriarchal lens.”
Margaret added, “[the duchess] understands the importance of inter-cultural learning and experiences. So for her, that was a big thing. Also, as a female, she understands that the element of gender and how different circumstances affect you as a person.”
She continued, “The duchess was doing a lot of listening but also highlighting the importance of education and how you change maybe one researcher or you provide funding support to one person and that’s one step in creating change for all of us.”
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) was established in 1913 with the aim of bringing together universities from different parts of the world to promote understanding and broaden minds as well as advance knowledge and improve lives. With this in mind, the organization seeks to expand opportunities for academics and students alike and encourages international collaboration.
Replaced!