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Meghan Markle has shone light on a shocking reality for young Indian girls in a powerful essay for TIME to mark International Women’s Day. The actress and humanitarian – who also happens to be dating Prince Harry – has written about the appalling stigmas attached to young girls experiencing mensuration and how in turn this is directly affecting their education.
Travelling to Mumbai and Delhi in January 2017, Markle saw first hand the huge implications having a period hinders a girls’ education. In India, these young girls aged 12 – 14 years old are made to believe their bodies are purging evil spirits during this time or that they are injured. And, as schools are not well enough equipped with bathrooms and most don’t have access to proper sanitation, girls either skip school or 23% of them end up dropping out.
“When a girl misses school because of her period, cumulatively that puts her behind her male classmates by 145 days,” writes Markle.
“And that’s the mitigated setback if she opts to stay in school, which most do not. The latter elect to return home, increasing their subjection to dangerous work, susceptibility to being victims of violence, and most commonly, being conditioned for early childhood marriage. As a female in India, the challenge of survival begins at birth, first overcoming female feticide, then being victim to malnourishment, potentially abuse, and lack of access to proper sanitation facilities. Why, if she is able to overcome all of these challenges and finally get to school, should her education and potential to succeed, be sacrificed because of shame surrounding her period?”
“Wasted opportunity is unacceptable with stakes this high,” she continued. “To break the cycle of poverty, and to achieve economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, young women need access to education. When we empower girls hungry for education, we cultivate women who are emboldened to effect change within their communities and globally. If that is our dream for them, then the promise of it must begin with us. Period.”
Proof she’s a different kind of Royal-in-Waiting, Markle also references an organisation, Myna Mahila Foundation, with whom she “shadowed” during her time in India. If you’d like to help by sponsoring pad packets for a girl, simply click here. And follow suit, Rachel Zane style.
Read Markle’s full essay here.
