Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Foundation announced this week a praetorship with consumer goods corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G) to “focus on gender equality,” among other initiatives. The “multi-year global partnership” comes more than 20 years after Markle called P&G’s ads “sexist.”
The partnership with P&G will “put a priority focus on gender equity,” as well as focus on “more inclusive online spaces, and resilience and impact through sport,” according to the Archewell Foundation’s website.
“Building on Archewell Foundation’s work with organizations such as Girls Inc. and National Women’s Law Center, the partnership will elevate the voices of adolescent girls to ensure their point of view and lived experience is heard at the tables where decisions are made,” the Archewell Foundation said.
“Expanding on P&G’s collaboration with Promundo, together we will underscore the importance of engaging men and boys in the drive for gender equity throughout society and encourage shared caregiving at home so everyone in the family can thrive,” the foundation said.
When Markle was 11 years old, she called on P&G to change a “very sexist” dish soap advertisement, which included the line, “Mothers around America are fighting greasy pots and pans.” Ultimately, Procter & Gamble altered the ad to say, “People all over America.”
“Truth be told, at 11 I don’t think I even knew what sexism meant. I just knew that something struck me internally that was telling me it was wrong, and I knew that it was wrong,” Markle said during a 2019 panel discussion. “And using that as my moral compass and moving through from the age of 11, at that age I was able to change this commercial.”
The couple has also set the goal of “building a better online environment that unlocks positive, compassionate, and creative spaces” in its partnership with P&G.
“Based on shared values, this partnership is focused on doing more (and doing better, together) for communities, for equality, and for our global collective wellbeing — one compassionate act at a time,” the Archewell Foundation concluded in its statement.
It’s the latest move from the couple that kicked off an international firestorm earlier this year, with Markle accusing the Royal Family of racism in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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