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These Feminist Prince Harry Moments Will Make You Root For Him Even More

by Tolly Wright
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Prince Harry isn't just a member of the British Royal Family and frequent do-gooder, he's also a champion of women causes. While greeting the public at Cardiff castle in Wales, Meghan Markle confirmed Prince Harry is a feminist. In a video posted on Twitter by a reporter from The Sun, Markle responded to a visitor who called her a feminist, "Thank you. [Harry's] a feminist, too." And it's true. Prince Harry has thrown his royal weight behind different causes that help women by giving speeches and vocalizing his support.

Harry's humanitarian streak has been at the forefront of his public image. Like many members of the royal family he is heavily involved in several causes, including co-founding a charity to help children and young people living with or affected by HIV/AIDS in Botswana and Lesotho and creating the Invictus Games, a multi-sport event for wounded, injured, or sick armed service members and veterans.

It's basically impossible not to swoon when you read about his animal activism (just look at him with those baby rhinos!). But also swoon-worthy is the way he seems to genuinely care about women's issues, particularly in regards to making education accessible to girls and young women all over the world. Here are few moments from Harry that show Markle was exactly right about him being a feminist.

1. His Speech In Nepal

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Definitely his most clearly feminist moment to date, and boy did he deliver. According to The Huffington Post, during his visit to the Girls Summit in Kathmandu in 2016, the royal gave a speech about the importance of ending child marriage. Citing a statistic that nearly half of all women who are currently in the 20s, 30s, or 40s living in Nepal were married before their 18th birthday, Prince Harry argued that these women were not given a chance to succeed in academia or with careers. He explained:

"Girls who marry young stay at home. They don’t finish school. And they soon become locked in a cycle of illiteracy, poverty, ill health and, ultimately, powerlessness. We all know what the answer is — education.”

Later he added that the lack of education for girls and young women is a systemic problem. He said,

"While the unique challenges faced by girls is not a topic I have spoken much about in the past, I think it’s important to acknowledge something that has become obvious to me and is already known to everyone in this room: there are way too many obstacles between girls and the opportunities they deserve."

2. He's Not Afraid To Let Meghan Take The Lead

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According to People in a recent visit to a youth-led London radio station called Reprezent, the host asked Prince Harry a question about gender equality, to which he responded by pointing to his bride-to-be, and answering, "She answers the questions!” Markle quickly chimed in "Yes, talking of gender equality!”

While the royal didn't use this opportunity as a chance to reveal his own woke point of view as much as he could if he expanded on the question, it did show that he was willing to cede the spotlight to let an expert speak. According to People, Markle's gone on trips around the world to learn how to empower girls and women and she became a women's rights advocate at the age of 11. Prince Harry's actions on the radio show prove that he's ready to learn more about the fight for gender equality through his partner.

3. His Charity Is Particularly Important For Young Women

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Though Prince Harry's charity, Sentebale, supports the well being and mental health of children and young people of both genders affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana, the education and health tools the organization provides is particularly useful for young women. According to Sentebale's website, statistics from UNICEF showed that young women were contracting the deadly disease in sub-Saharan Africa at an alarming rate. The website reports, "In 2015, nearly 7,500 young women aged 15–24 years acquired HIV each week."

During a roundtable discussion with Senebale, the organization reports that Prince Harry said, "To me it is totally absurd that in today’s world that for young people, the first time they hear anything about HIV and AIDS, it’s probably by the time it is too late."

4. He Supported The Solidarity Campaign HeForShe

HeForShe is a campaign that was initiated by UN Women to encourage people of all genders to stand up for gender equality. UN Goodwill ambassador Emma Watson introduced the campaign with a speech that explained how she hoped that the effort would "galvanize" boys and men to see gender equality as a human rights issue, as opposed to solely a women's issue. Prince Harry shared his support, he was quoted on Twitter by the organization as saying, "This is not just about women, we men need to recognize the part we play, too." He added, "Real men treat women with dignity and give them the respect they deserve."

Though Prince Harry had not spoken much about women's issues earlier in his life — as he admitted in his aforementioned Nepal speech — it would seem that in recent years he has taken more interest in them. Now that he is marrying Meghan Markle, her passion for gender equality will surely continue to push him to take on the issue more forcefully.