Meghan Markle Shares Her Thoughts on Royal Tour of Southern Africa & Her Commitment to Women's Rights

On the last day of the royal tour of Africa, Meghan Markle gives a short speech during a press meeting. She highlights some of the aspects of the trip that have been special to her.

"I think for us it has been a really special trip, because you get to see when you're focusing on the causes that are really important to us, you can see that the impact is good, and it feels meaningful," Meghan Markle reveals about her experience since embarking on a royal tour of Africa.

In her final speech, during a meeting with the press, Markle encouraged people not to be disheartened by the problems they see in the world and instead to be aware of the power they have to change it. She says:

"I have learned from the people I've met here, that whether it's about society's expectations of masculinity or femininity, or how we divide ourselves by race or faith or class or status- everyone has value, and everyone deserves to be heard and respected."

"And if you live your life in that way, your generation will start to value each other in ways the rest of us have not yet been able to do so," she concludes.

Sharing her experience after meeting Markle during her visit of the mothers2mothers charity, in Cape Town. The CEO Frank Beadle De Palomo was surprised by attentive and humble Markle is.

"She came here and listened to every person, she touched each woman here in a different way. Her energy is so contagious, when she left everyone was so motivated. And it was wonderful to see her interacting with the children‚ she's a natural," Palomo, reveals.

The charity aims to prevent mother-to-child transmission from women living with HIV. It provides training, educaton and support for women at risk or living with HIV.

Markle has been particularly passionate about gender equality around the world. On her final day she met with women at Blossom Care Solutions, which provides low-cost product for women and girls. In 2017 she spoke to Time Magazine about their work, saying:

"We need to push the conversation, mobilize policy making surrounding menstrual health initiatives, support organizations who foster girls' education from the ground up, and within our own homes, we need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation."

Using her platform during the royal tour to promote gender equality in South Africa, Markle took the opportunity to sit down with female entrepreneurs and visit charities that support women living with HIV.

The Duchess also looked in to the work being done by organization that help women living in poverty and violence prone communities.