Meghan Markle named patron of empowering women’s employment charity

The Duchess of Sussex has spoken of her passion for women’s issues on many occasions

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, has been named the new royal patron for a charity that provides support for women struggling with unemployment.

The duchess has been very vocal about her support for women’s issues in the past, having given an impassioned speech about women’s suffrage while in New Zealand during her royal tour with Prince Harry, and through her work with the Hubb Community Kitchen in west London.

Her latest endeavour will see her work closely with Smart Works, an organisation that helps women who’ve been unemployed find their feet by giving them interview training, clothes for job interviews and a renewed sense of confidence.

Kensington Palace announced the news of the duchess’ new role on Twitter, explaining that the royal has met with several women who’ve benefited from the charity.

Lady Hughes-Hallett, chair and founder of Smart Works, expressed her delight over the Duchess of Sussex’s appointment as patron.

The Duchess of Sussex is greeted as she arrives at St Charles hospital in west London to visit Smart Works on 10 January (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

“An acknowledged champion of women and their rights worldwide, the duchess will motivate ever more women to come to our centres and get the job that will transform their lives,” she said.

“We have been honoured to welcome the duchess to our west London centre and see her engage with our clients and volunteers. Her empathy and insight were obvious.

“The duchess is a natural coach and our clients were inspired and helped by her.”

The Duchess of Sussex picks out clothes for Patsy Wardally during her visit to Smart Works on 10 January (Getty Images)

The Duchess of Sussex’s previous work with women’s initiatives gave her even more incentive to get involved with Smart Works, Kensington Palace explains.

While studying at Northwestern University, she helped source prom dresses for young women from underprivileged backgrounds.

In 2015, the duchess spoke about the importance of feminism during a celebration of International Women’s Day at the United Nations.

“Women need a seat at the table, they need an invitation to be seated there, and in some cases, where this is not available, they need to create their own table,” she said during her speech.

“We need a global understanding that we cannot implement change effectively without women’s political participation.”

In addition to Smart Works, the duchess has also been made a patron of the National Theatre, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and Mayhew, an animal welfare charity.

The royal patronages for the National Theatre and the Association of Commonwealth Universities have been passed onto the duchess by the Queen, who’s been patron of the organisations for 45 years and 33 years respectively.