Megan Markle, the soon to be former Duchess of Sussex, surprised an East London, UK school on Sunday in honor of International Women’s Day.
The visit marked the 50th anniversary of Britain’s Equal Pay Act, which sought to prevent discrimination against women in the workplace.
During her speech, Markle paid tribute to Geraldine Dear, one of the female workers at the Ford motor plant in Dagenham who went on strike for equal pay in 1968, per Variety. The case led to groundbreaking changes in the law regarding equal pay, bringing women a step closer to their male counterparts.
“Women who had the strength to really stand up for something that they knew needed to be done is the best example of no matter how small you might feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what color you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right,” Markle told the audience.
“It’s very easy to sometimes compartmentalize or silo this idea of International Women’s Day as solely being about women. But it’s not, it’s about all of us,” continued, addressing the young males in the crowd.
“You have your mothers, sisters, girlfriends in your life. Protect them. Make sure they are feeling valued, and safe. And let’s all just rally together to make International Women’s Day something that’s not just on Sunday, but frankly feels like every day of the year.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will fulfill their final royal commitment on Monday at the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in London.
