Meghan Markle and Prince Harry discussed the challenges girls face in accessing education amid the Covid-19 pandemic as they joined Pakistani activist and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai for a virtual chat on girls’ rights yesterday.
The talk coincided with the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Duchess of Sussex thanked Malala for speaking with her and Prince Harry, saying: ‘Just thank you so much for having us on such an important day. For girls all over the world, when young girls have access to education, everyone wins and succeeds. It opens the door for societal success.’
During virtual chat, the couple — who stepped back as senior royals earlier this year — also shared their own experience of education, with Prince Harry confessing he had ‘probably not been grateful’ for his schooling as a youngster.
When Malala asked them about their own education, Meghan responded as saying: ‘In terms of education, not only did I have the ability to go to school at a young age but I also went to university.’
Meanwhile, Harry disclosed that he had taken his education ‘for granted’, adding: ‘It is a privilege but every single person, every single young person across the world needs an education.’
He added: ‘To know there are 113 million girls out of education, the numbers only going to go up. It worries me and probably worried all of us, the effect of that [a lack of education for women] has not only on the family but also on society as well.’
Harry said: ‘I’m hugely grateful for the education I was lucky enough to have. At the time, I certainly, probably wasn’t as grateful, but looking back on it now, I’m very, very blessed with having such an amazing opportunity.’
At one stage, Malala made the couple laugh as she responded: ‘I think it takes boys slightly longer to understand how important education is but they get there in the end. ‘You’re blessed you have such a great companion Meghan.’
Malala, who graduated from Oxford University earlier this year, shared the video on her social media.
Meghan asked Malala about how she felt graduating from Oxford during the period of Covid. Malala recalled: ‘It was a very difficult time. I graduated at home, I took my exams at home. It was very difficult not to be in college anymore and not to be with friends. Not to have those traditionally ceremonies.
“In Oxford, you go to your schools and celebrate with a trashing...It’s all part of that university life that we all missed. But I still was blessed that I still had the opportunity to learn from home.’
“You know, there are 130 million girls out of school but an additional 20 million are at risk of dropping out because of the pandemic.
“They are at risk of never being able to return to their schools because they are likely to be pushed into early child marriages, or they might become the bread winners or financial supporters of their families.
“So I am more worried about those girls right now, and I think this pandemic is a crisis in the sector of education, and we need to focus on investment in education right now.”
ENGAGING: Malala Yousafzai, left, and Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. (File photo)
