Meghan Markle Speaks Out About Access to Education in Johannesburg
The Duchess of Sussex reminded students of the importance of small steps towards making a big difference today as she visited the University of Johannesburg. Meghan carried out her first public engagement in the city, meeting with staff and students during a roundtable discussion about access to education and gender equality.
“Sometimes access to education can seem so big, you wonder where to even begin? So you begin with one student, or one school, you simply begin. And that’s when we see change,” the duchess said in remarks that were later posted on her Instagram account. According to the post, Meghan continued by referencing a Martin Luther King Jr quote: “Take the first step...you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.”
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Oct 1, 2019 at 3:26am PDT
The duchess also told the discussion: “When a woman is empowered it changes absolutely everything in the community.” Meghan explained to the students that advocating for the right to education was “truly and deeply important and meaningful to me on a personal level,” describing it as “such a key element” for economical and personal growth.
“I went to university. It takes a village doesn’t it to sort of piece it together for people to be able to finance that; families chipping in, scholarships, financial aid. All those things that are the reason that I was able to attend university,” she added.
Meghan’s words and appearance at the university were described as “inspiring” by students who were present for her visit, during which she announced three new gender grants and four new Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth scholarships from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). Meghan became patron of the ACU in January of this year, taking over from the Queen who held the position for 33 years.
“The duchess kept speaking about just taking the necessary steps. Even if it’s one, even if it’s small, and no matter how big the goal seems to be,” Tumi Mampame, an MA student in the department of communication studies, told T&C after the duchess had left.
She continued: “I think I’m definitely going to remember that when it gets stressful and it gets tiring that just that very small step—from the township that I’m from, from the spaces that I’m in—is actually going to make a difference one day. That’s motivating and inspiring. I think I’m more motivated now more than every to keep pushing my work and to take it as far as I possibly can.”
Margaret Macdonald, 33, from Canada, received a commonwealth scholarship from the ACU and is studying at the University of Cape Town, where she is conducting research on the contribution of small scale fisheries to food security in the western cape.
“The focus of the conversation was on gender and gender within secondary education,” she told T&C. “Whether it be how university policies affect different genders or whether it be how students, how they feel within their environment, if the environment was created more with a patriarchal lens.”
Citing the fact that she is from Canada and has colleagues from Kenya and Ghana, Margaret said, “[the duchess] understands the importance of inter-cultural learning and experiences. So for her, that was a big thing. Also, as a female she understands that element of gender and how different circumstances affect you as a person.”
She added, “The duchess was doing a lot of listening but also highlighting the importance of education and how you change maybe one researcher or you provide funding support to one person and that’s one step in creating change for all of us.”
Established in 1913, the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) brings together universities from around the world to advance knowledge, promote understanding, broaden minds and improve lives. The organization champions higher education, helps to expand opportunities for students and academics and promotes international collaboration.
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