So far, Meghan Markle has remained silent on the verdict on abortion in the United States. But now she is coming out in public with a powerful point of view.
Duchess Meghan is known for campaigning for women’s rights before royal times. In an interview with the fashion magazine “Vogue” and the journalist Gloria Steinem, she spoke about the abortion laws approved by the US Supreme Court. So far she and her husband Prince Harry have been silent, but now the actress is taking a clear stance and appealing to men.
Last week, the US Supreme Court made a controversial decision, overturning the country’s liberal abortion laws. Since then, abortion bans have been enacted in a number of US states. In states like Arkansas, Kentucky or Louisiana, abortions are no longer allowed – not even in cases of rape or incest. There are usually only exceptions for medical emergencies.
Countless citizens, on the other hand, took to the streets, outraged by the massive cuts in women’s rights and the determination of their own bodies. So does Duchess Meghan, she primarily calls on men to support women in the upcoming fight against abortion laws: “Men must rise up at this moment and beyond, because these are decisions, relationships, families and communities at large. They may target women, but the consequences affect us all.”
Prince Harry is a feminist
“My husband and I have talked a lot about this over the past few days. He is also a feminist,” said the Duchess. This was also confirmed by Steinem, who the couple met during the pandemic and had interviewed in the past. Duchess Meghan and her husband had to swallow hard when they found out about the verdict, according to the 40-year-old.
“I know there is a sense of desperation with so many women right now. But even now, we have to unite and not wallow in our desperation. We have to get to work,” Meghan said. The mother-of-two also said it’s very important to “normalize conversations about things that affect our lives and our bodies.” She referred to her own decision that she spoke publicly about her own miscarriage in November 2020.
The Duchess of Sussex sees the safety and self-determination of women as very endangered: “This is about the physical safety of women. But it’s also about economic justice, individual autonomy and who we are as a society. Nobody should be forced to make a decision she doesn’t want to make, one that’s unsafe, or one that puts her own life at risk.”
Duchess Meghan will fight against abortion laws alongside Gloria Steinem
Journalist Steinem then shared the story of her own abortion, which she performed in London and which she said allowed her to live the life she chose. Steinem has been a leading women’s rights advocate in the United States for over 50 years and when asked what she would do to help the New York Post newspaper last Saturday, she told the New York Post: “Anything! I have a guest room if a woman needs it to come to New York State for an abortion, of course she can stay with me for a limited time.”
Steinem won over the Duchess for her fight against Congress. The goal of this aspired fight: to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment — a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution that aims to guarantee equal legal rights to all American citizens, regardless of gender. Meghan doesn’t want to sit around and watch, she says. It is “necessary to do something, to really listen to people and to understand that the Constitution was written at a time when women were second-class citizens.”
Sources: Daily Mail, Vogue
