Meghan Markle pens powerful gender equality essay

She’s the actress who was thrust even further in the spotlight when Prince Harry confirmed their romance, and now Meghan Markle is using her fame for good by penning a powerful essay on how she balances fame with her focus on charity.

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In a move that's sure to please the philanthropically minded royal family, the Suits star has written about her experience in Rwanda last year for Elle UK.

The star reveals she was heading back from a Gihembe refugee camp when she was contacted by her manager, asking if she would wanted to attend the BAFTA Awards in London. With the promise that a high-end jewellery company would fly her in and dress her in “the fanciest of gowns”, Meghan realised she just couldn't do it.

“My brain, heart and spirit couldn’t shift gears that quickly, from the purpose-driven work I had been doing all week in Rwanda to the polished glamour of an awards show,” she wrote. “’No,’ my heart said. And it wasn’t a soft whisper; it was a lion’s roar.”

“In that moment, my gut said no because while my two worlds can coexist, I’ve learned that being able to keep a foot in both is a delicate balance. No, they are not mutually exclusive but guiding my heart through the swinging pendulum from Hollywood fantasy to third-world reality is challenging in its own way."

For Meghan, who grew up the daughter of a clinical therapist mum and television lighting director dad, her upbringing saw her realise that there was more to life than just the bubble she existed in.

"My mum raised me to be a global citizen, with eyes open to sometimes harsh realities," explains Meghan, who admits even now, she makes sure extra food on set gets donated to local charities.

“My parents came from little so they made a choice to give a lot: buying turkeys for homeless shelters at Thanksgiving, delivering meals to people in hospices, giving spare change to those asking for it. It’s what I grew up seeing, so it’s what I grew up being: a young adult with a social consciousness to do what I could and speak up when I knew something was wrong.”

The actress is also dedicated to fighting for gender equality - and has been from an early age.

Even at school as an 11-year-old, Meghan remembers writing a letter to the then First Lady Hillary Clinton pushing for change, after an incident at school.

"A dish-washing liquid commercial came on a TV with the tagline, 'Women all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.' The boys yelled out, 'Yeah, that's where women belong. In the kitchen.' My little freckled face became red with anger," she reveals.

"A few months later, the commercial was changed to ‘People all over America are fighting greasy pots and pans.’”

While the actress takes care not to mention her private life - including her relationship with Prince Harry - in the letter, it's clear the World Vision Global Ambassador is determined to use her fame for good, no matter what the outcome of her newfound notoriety.

“With fame comes opportunity, but it also includes responsibility – to advocate and share, to focus less on glass slippers and more on pushing through glass ceilings. And, if I’m lucky enough, to inspire," she says.

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