Meghan Markle is already embarking on new charitable endeavors as she settles into life in Vancouver, British Columbia with son Archie. On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the Duchess of Sussex visited a number of community-focused women’s charities, marking her first public outings since she and Prince Harry announced that they would be exiting their roles as senior royals.
In addition to spending time at a women’s center, Markle also visited Justice for Girls, an organization promoting social justice and an end to violence, poverty, and racism in the lives of teenage girls who live in poverty, according to Entertainment Tonight.
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In photos shared by the organization on Twitter, Markle be seen sitting among the organizations leaders as she sipped tea.
Yesterday, The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle visited to discuss climate justice for girls and the rights of Indigenous peoples. Was great to talk about the importance of a holistic approach to social justice, and the power of young women’s leadership. #DuchessOfSussex pic.twitter.com/M9LaqEELl7
— Justice For Girls (@JFG_Canada) January 16, 2020
Speaking with BAZAAR.com, Justice for Girls co-director Zoe Craig-Sparrow said that they were “very moved” by the duchess’ visit.
“We were very moved by the duchess visiting us despite terrible weather conditions in Vancouver and her very recent arrival,” she said. “We were struck by how engaged and informed she was on the issues we discussed, and how quickly and gracefully she put us at ease.”
“She was well-informed about the rights of girls and women and the need to challenge social inequality in a way that is holistic and global,” Craig-Sparrow added. “Some of the issues we talked about included violence against girls; poverty and how it impacts access to education; girls’ rights in relation to the environment; leadership globally on issues of social and environmental justice; parallels between the struggles of girls in Canada with girls around the world; the need to approach social change in a holistic [and] integrated way, and how our proposed Justice for Girls Center aims to do just that.”
During the visit, Markle reportedly discussed the ongoing epidemic of violence against Indigenous girls and women, which Craig-Sparrow said was “critically important” in the country as “the impacts of colonization continue to harm indigenous girls and women through epidemic violence, social and economic inequality, environmental racism and denial of the rights of Indigenous peoples.”
That same day, Markle had also paid a visit to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, where she was present to “discuss issues affecting women in the community.”
The outings come as she and Harry begin their “transition” out of senior members of the royal family, the couple instead intending to pave a new path and split their time between the United Kingdom and North America.
