Meghan Praises "Beautiful Example" Harry During Insightful Conversation with Gloria Steinem

Meghan's full conversation with the one and only Gloria Steinem has been shared by MAKERS Women, a platform supporting women by amplifying their voices and sharing their stories. It's as interesting and insightful as hoped for, with in-depth discussion on voter suppression, the vital importance of representation, Meghan and Gloria's friendship and heartwarming words on the role model Prince Harry is for his son.

In an opening piece for MAKERS, the Duchess wrote:

'“If you don’t vote, you don’t exist.”

These words from Gloria Steinem have stuck with me since she first spoke them during this conversation.

Throughout our friendship, we’ve spoken of our shared beliefs surrounding women’s rights, the need for representation and the very timely conversation on voting.

I firmly believe that we vote to honor those who came before us and to protect those who come after us. Ms. Steinem, my friend Gloria, is one of the women I honor when I vote.

I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did and that it allows you to reflect on who inspires you to vote as we approach this upcoming election. Your voice matters. Please use it.'

Meghan and Gloria have a very natural rapport, which we found out tonight stems from a fledgling friendship the pair have developed over long conversations and lunches. Back when Meghan was writing the Tig, she credited Steinem as a "luminary" in the fight for equality. Getting to know Gloria has obviously been a privilege for Meghan - a sentiment very much shared by the the powerhouse activist and feminist. Gloria begins by saying: "Welcome home. I’m so glad that you're home!" The Duchess replies: "Me too - for so many reasons. We've talked a lot these last few weeks. I keep thinking, my goodness -  I’ve looked up to you for so long! It’s wonderful to just be in your company, to learn so much and to feel inspired to be home. But also to help people remember why it’s so important to vote."

More from MAKERS Women:

G: Really, we’ve been rescued by women of color in all of our recent elections because of a vote of conscience and compassion. The heart of the Democratic party has been Black women, actually, and now there is a potential Vice President who is Black and that’s exciting.

M: I’m so excited to see that kind of representation. You know, for me, being biracial, growing up, whether it was a doll or a person in office, you need to see someone who looks like you in some capacity. As many of us believe, you can only be what you can see. And in the absence of that, how can you aspire to something greater than what you see in your own world? I think maybe now we’re starting to break-through in a different way. Do you feel hopeful?

G: Oh yes, I do feel hopeful. We still require an adjective, if you know what I mean. There are ‘doctors’ and ‘women doctors’ and ‘Black women doctors’ and ‘Hispanic doctors’ … the noun still tends to be confined to the ruling group. But we’ll get past that.

M: You know it’s so interesting. I was reading this book called Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble and it talks about how the digital space really shapes our thinking about race. For example, it wasn’t that long ago that when you’d start to type in a search engine ‘why are white women…’ it would start to autofill with words like ‘so pretty’ or ‘so beautiful.’ And then when you would type ‘why are black women…’ it would autofill with words like ‘so angry’ or ‘so loud.’ You get to see how our minds are being shaped by something so much bigger than what we’re actually feeling or putting out there.

G: That’s terrible isn’t it? In a way, the computer age has made it clear by listing it so we can fight it more easily. ... I wonder if the COVID-19 disaster — which is an unmitigated suffering and a very unequal suffering, I must say — is teaching us something because it doesn’t recognize race, gender or nationality. It sees human beings as human beings. And perhaps we’re beginning to see that too. 

Meghan discussed the importance of "a moment of rest to reevaluate what actually matters". She added: "I think it’s often forgotten how women like you and so many others before you fought for us to just be where we are right now." The Duchess revealed she's been having conversations with leading voting-rights activist Stacey Abrams about the challenges surrounding voter suppression. "For example, if you’re a person of color and you’re in line, for potentially hours on end, and during that time someone tries to intimidate you, to tell you that you should get out of line because you might be under surveillance or any number of intimidation tactics that are so scary. And then you think: ‘You know, it’s not worth it.’ You decide to step out of line and relinquish your right to vote. That’s bad enough, but then there’s a ripple effect because whoever is in the back of the line says, ‘Whatever they did to them…I don’t want that to happen to me.’ That, I think, is so frightening. But I wonder how we circumvent that and how we get people to feel empowered."

"If you don’t vote you don’t exist. It’s the only place where we are all equal," Gloria told the Duchess. "You know, I fear we get a case of the ‘shoulds’ - the ‘what should I do?’ as opposed to ‘I’m going to do everything I can.’ We should ask ourselves: ‘Who do I talk to every day? Are they registered or not?’ Whatever it is that is next to us we can do. If we each do that, then I think we’ll be OK."

Meghan continued: 

'I was reading something the other day and it made me think of The Equal Rights Amendment and I’m curious to hear your thoughts on how we can get that over the line. Because it was 1970 that you were in Congress appealing for it. There was a Native Alaskan named Elizabeth Peratrovich who fought for and ensured the passage of the 1945 Anti-Discrimination Act, and she said: Asking you to give me equal rights implies that they are yours to give. Instead, I must demand that you stop trying to deny me the rights that all people deserve.'

The discussion turned to the role men play as we move forward, with a certain prince gaining well deserved praise. Gloria said: "Well, you can be a feminist and be masculine and a guy." Meghan replied: "Like my husband! I love that when he just came in he said, ‘You know that I’m a feminist too, right Gloria?! It’s really important to me that you know that.'" Gloria described Harry's words as "wonderful", adding: "And also that he is a nurturing father. Because then your son will grow up knowing it’s OK to be loving and nurturing." Meghan smiled: "Well said. I know it’ll mean a lot to him when I share that."

Meghan highlighted the wonderful role model Harry is for Archie: "I look at our son and what a beautiful example that he gets to grow up with a father who is so comfortable owning that as part of his own self-identification. That there’s no shame in being someone who advocates for fundamental human rights for everyone, which of course includes women."

Meghan was given bracelets by Gloria with the motto 'Linked Not Ranked'. "Well, you know actually, ‘we are linked not ranked’ is the shortest way I’ve ever found to say what our goal is. And I thank you for understanding that rank is less important than being linked. That’s a big thing." Meghan replied: "It means everything to me on every level; we are linked not ranked." In 2013, Gloria designed 'Imagine We Are Linked Not Ranked' bracelets, with all proceeds going to Feminist.com. I expect Meghan was wearing these.

The video was filmed by well-known entertainment photographer Matt Sayles. His work focuses on reflecting "a more inclusive image of beauty and highlighting stories from people and communities that are currently underrepresented". Meghan closed the piece, writing: "Gloria, I couldn’t have asked for a better day; this is so important. The next two months are so important. I want to thank you, we all want to thank you for your wisdom and inspiration." It was a wonderful read and I imagine something we could see Meghan doing on a larger scale moving forward. 

The release coincides with Women's Equality Day. The United State of Women shared this quote by Meghan in honour of the day.

A brief video from the conversation which was shared last night.

A quick recap on Meghan's very chic look as shared in last night's post. Meghan's trousers are by Anine Bing. The lightweight pants feature a pinstripe pattern and a high waist. They are also in stock on Anine Bing's website and Net-A-Porter.

A matching blazer is also available at Net-A-Porter.

Meghan's sandals are Stella McCartney Rhea style. The shoes are made from non-leather materials as part of the designer's cruelty-free ethos. They are in stock in black and brown on McCartney's website (with many thanks to the Meghan's Mirror team who identified the trousers and shoes).

Meghan's hat is the Janessa Leone Serena style (with thanks to Elizabeth from Meghan's Fashion). The wheat braid straw hat is described as: "Hand braided in thin strands and then sewn together to form a continuous piece of material that can be blocked into a hat. This straw is our highest rated ultraviolet protection." The brand is making a contribution from all sales to the non-partisan I Am a Voter until Sunday.

I'm going to close with two recommendations for you. If anyone is currently searching for the sort of book you cannot put down once the first page is read, Gloria's Steinem's My Life on the Road is a warm, personable and searingly honest read. If you're a Netflix viewer, Prince Harry participates in the uplifting and inspiring Rising Phoenix which is available to view from today. Early reviews suggest this is a must-watch going behind the scenes of the Paralympics to discover the journey of the athletes behind the games. I'm very excited to watch it over the weekend.